My Little Persona: Social Links is Magic
by The Compendium of Steve
Summary: MLP season 1, written in the style of Persona 4.  What secrets does the Midnight Reflection hold?  What of the mysterious Foal-sonas?  Will Social Link management this time around be more realistic and efficient?  Unlikely.
1. Newest Residents

**Equestria.**

**The peaceful town of Ponyville shall be shaken by tragedy and mystery.**

**Will those who seek the answers, be able to unravel the darkness that surrounds their hearts?**

**Can Friendship prevail?**

**Day One, Sunny**

**Newest Residents**

Today is a special day. By order of Princess Celestia, you have been assigned to live in the small village of Ponyville for the next year. Currently you're riding in a Pegasus-drawn chariot over the skies of Equestria to your destination, and accompanying you is your faithful, if overly-eager, dragon assistant Spike, whom the princess has permitted to live with you during your time in Ponyville. You have been flying for some time now, and the sky has taken on an orange hue as the sun begins to set. You note that the cramped confines of the chariot have made you irritable.

"How much further till we get there?" you sigh.

"Shouldn't be long, Twilight," answered your pint-sized dragon assistant. "There's been nothing but fields down below for a while now, and I think Ponyville is surrounded by fields."

"This ride would be more bearable if I had a book to read, but considering how cramped this chariot is I doubt I'd be able to read more than a page before getting a headache."

Spike looks at you with a little concern.

"But, aren't you excited about going to see Ponyville? Seeing new ponies, being someplace smaller than Canterlot with different customs? It should be fun!"

"Being in a town in the middle of nowhere for a whole year? I highly doubt it, Spike."

His failed attempt at lifting your spirits seems to have brought his own down slightly. However you were honest. From what you've researched before your departure, Ponyville is practically in the sticks, and is far from the lofty towers of Canterlot you've been accustomed to all your life. As you mull over that dissatisfying comparison, you recall the letter sent to you by Princess Celestia for your placement in Ponyville, and its specific contents:

_My Most Faithful Student Twilight Sparkle,_

_For years you have been a most excellent student and dear friend, performing remarkably in your studies and surpassing every one of my expectations up to now. However, as of late I've become concerned over the time you've spent studying at home when other ponies your age are out socializing in other activities. Though you are unquestionably an excellent student, a critical part of any pony's development is the growth gained from meaningful interaction with other ponies, which I'm concerned that you may very well miss due to your current study habits._

_Therefore, in three days time, you will be sent to the town of Ponyville where you will be taking residence for one year. Your task while living there will be to study and foster the most important yet barely recorded aspect of pony life: Friendship. Spike will also accompany you to continue his role of assistant as you work towards understanding the meaning of friendship._

_My dearest Twilight Sparkle, I hold the utmost trust and confidence that you will succeed in your task in the coming year's time, and perhaps complete it in less time. However long it may take, I have no doubt you'll reach a satisfactory answer as well as benefit greatly from it._

_Your Teacher,_

_Princess Celestia_

As you think about the princess's letter your thoughts are suddenly disturbed as the chariot begins to shake violently. The Pegasus guards bray and wave around their hooves upon stopping abruptly to avoid colliding with another passing Pegasus pony who seemed to zip by in a blue and multicolored blur. After the Pegasus settle down you find yourself feeling a little miffed.

"W-what was that! A typhoon!" Spike says, still a little stunned from the near-accident.

"No Spike, it was just a rude and reckless Pegasus. Seriously, they just flew by here like they owned the whole sky.

"You could've knocked us off!" You shout at the Pegasus who is now halfway toward the horizon.

Looking that the fleeing Pegasus you noticed that they were pulling along a banner with a rope. The banner shows a fanciful design, with pictures of jewels and stylish dresses. Much of the banner was taken up by the image of a white-haired unicorn with a very glossy purple mane and a sultry smile.

"Hmm, seems they're advertising something… involving dresses?"

You briefly wonder who the decadent pony on the banner could be, but only briefly.

"Whoa…" said Spike almost breathlessly. "That pony's beauuutiful…"

Your assistant appears smitten by the ad. You're suddenly annoyed even further.

"Ugh! Spike, get your head out of the clouds." He looks up, awakened from his ogling.

"How? We're surrounded by clouds, Twilight."

There are indeed clouds in the vicinity of the chariot. One passes right through the chariot and settles surrounding you and Spike in white airy fluff. You feel miffed.

"Can we just go now?"

The Pegasus' get back into motion and your interrupted trip continues, unable to suppress the thought that other ponies you will meet here will have as much reckless abandon as that pegasus.

**Time Passes. It's late evening, and you arrive in Ponyville Square without further incident.**

The chariot touches down in the middle of Ponyville, and feeling relieved that the flight is finally over you step off the chariot. A quick glance around shows that you're surrounded by several wooden houses of many colors and outlandish designs. You admit to yourself there is a very quaint feel to the place, though it is kinda suffocating. After you thank the Pegasus guards they take off, and you and Spike are left alone. Or perhaps not, for standing just a few feet away is an old tan-haired mare with aged silver hair and a pair of spectacles. You think she is rather official-looking.

"You must be Twilight Sparkle. Princess Celestia had sent me word of your arrival, though I didn't think it would be this late."

She has a gentleness in the way she talks. She also mentioned hearing from the princess. Who could she be you-

"Oh but where are my manners? I am Ivory Scroll, the mayor of Ponyville, and on behalf of everyone I welcome you to our humble village."

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Mayor. This is my assistant Spike, and I apologize for the delay in our arrival."

"Pleased to be here!" Spike announces bluntly.

"Oh, no need to apologize dear," the mayor said. "The important thing is you're here safe and sound. I look forward to your involvement in our community, as I'm sure everyone else will be once you've been introduced."

You get a nagging feeling from the mention of "others."

"Oh, yeah, I bet, but uh, at the moment I'm feeling really tired, and so is my assistant."

"But I'm feeling fine Twilight."

You glare at Spike.

"Of course, of course," the mayor speaks up again. "Such a long flight can be taxing on any pony or… dragon. But might I suggest getting some refreshments from our café? Surely you must be thirsty from your trip as well."

You'd rather get settled in first.

"Well I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to be a bother-"

"Oh it's no bother at all!" the mayor interrupts cheerfully. "It's a pleasure to make any new resident at home right away, and what better way to get acquainted to a new location then to see one of its more recognized social spots? It won't be but a minute. I assure you."

Begrudgingly you take up the mayor's offer practically by force with Spike in tow. A short time later you are standing before the café while waiting on the mayor who is talking to who you think might be the owner. To your surprise there aren't any other ponies around; in fact you haven't seen many ponies around since you got here. Suddenly you see the mayor has finished talking and is now walking back to you.

"Alright Ms. Sparkle, you can help yourself to whatever you want, my treat. Just try not to have too many snacks."

The mayor chuckles to herself but you're not amused.

"The café is about to close, so you can relax in peace. I'll be waiting here to show you your new home when you're ready."

"Thank you mayor, and feel free to call me Twilight."

"Very well Twilight. I'll see you in a bit."

You leave the mayor and Spike follows. You come to a table near the café entrance, and just as the mayor said the place is bereft of ponies. You take a seat, as does Spike.

"She's pretty nice, huh Twilight?" remarked Spike.

"A little too nice Spike. This hospitality of hers is already suffocating and we haven't been here ten minutes."

"You really need to lighten up." It was Spike's turn to sound annoyed, though with concern. "We're gonna be living here for a year, and it's gonna be tough if you keep acting grumpy all the time."

"Ugh, don't remind me. But I suppose I can be grateful no one else has come by to-"

"Welcome to the Clover Café! I'll be your server this evening."

You were interrupted by the arrival of one of the café's waitresses. She is unusually perky for this time of day.

"What can I get for you?" she continues, to which you respond after a pause:

"I'll just have an iced alfalfa tea please."

"And your finest ruby as well please," Spike chimed in.

"Sorry, we're fresh out of rubies. But the tea is coming right up." The waitress gives a nod and trots off.

"Guess I spoke too soon," you grumbled.

The waitress returns with your cool beverage. Spike appears disappointed.

"There you go: Cool tea on the house. Need anything else?"

"No, I'm fine," you say as you made to take a sip.

"You're new to town aren't you?" the waitress asks.

"Oh, yes I am. We've both been on a veeery long trip to get here," you say.

You wonder what this waitress's deal is, and fear that she won't go away that easily. Other than her waitress outfit you do notice her eyes are a striking turquoise color.

"I can tell you're new here."

As you feared, she's still talking.

"You don't have that typical Ponyville look, apart from that Rarity pony. She makes herself look far too nice given her environment. But you are authentic if I do say so; I can tell from your hoof."

"My, hoof?"

You lift your hoof curiously only to have it gripped between the waitress's two fore hooves as she looks it over.

"Ah yes, naturally smooth. No common wear and tear and no deep-rooted dirt either. You're from high society alright."

The waitress lets go of your hoof. You now feel very uncomfortable.

"Well, it's not really that "high" a society hehehe…"

Your own awkward laugh makes you more uncomfortable.

"Hope you have a nice stay here in Ponyville regardless," the waitress resumes as she turns to leave. "It's pretty quiet and dull most of the time here, especially for outsiders. Although I suspect that things may become exciting real soon."

You watch the waitress leave. That last part sounded sort of ominous, but you pass it off as you look at your slightly warmed drink.

"Finally, she's gone."

You're suddenly overcome with dizziness before you could take a sip. You have no idea what brought it on as you groan and Spike looks on with sudden worry.

"Hey, Twilight, you don't look so good. Air sickness finally catching up to you?"

"No Spike. I'm fine, just a little weary."

Despite your words the dizzy spell strikes you as perplexing. You decide that it's simply fatigue.

"We've been here long enough. Let's get back to the mayor."

You down your drink and leave the café with Spike. Shortly thereafter you meet up with the mayor who was waiting around the corner. She greets you.

"Are you both refreshed? Then allow me to show you your new home."

You and Spike follow her.

After a good bit of walking you and Spike arrive at your residence: A large hollowed-tree with windows and a balcony amidst the branches. Outside the entrance is a sign with a picture of a book. The sky has begun to darken considerably at this point.

"Well here it is. Per Princess Celestia's arrangements, you are to be housed in the town's library. Everything's been assorted inside to resemble an actual living space, so you don't have to worry about setting things up."

You recall Celestia informing you about this arrangement before you left, and like always she made it happen. You perk up slightly at the thought of walls of books surrounding you, but your fatigue dampens it. The mayor continues:

"I'm sure you were expecting some kind of welcome reception consisting of more than just me, but almost everypony was going home for the night when you arrived, and it wouldn't have been very welcoming if there was no one to greet you. And as mayor it is my civic duty to oversee the general well-being of the townsfoal. But I've taken up enough of your time, and you two must be eager for rest. If you can, I recommend that you come to the town square tomorrow at noontime. It's much livelier then, and you're certain to meet most of the ponies there. Now I'll head back to my home. Good night Twilight, and good night Spike."

"Same to you, ma'am," Spike replied.

At long last the mayor leaves, and it's just you and Spike. You breathe a sigh of relief, and then take a moment to look over the library exterior. For the next year this will be your and Spike's home. You take it all in.

"Now that she mentioned it Twi, I had been expecting a half-dozen member welcome committee with streamers and flowers and OOH snacks! Huh, I just remembered that I haven't eaten anything since we left. I'm hungry…"

So much for your moment of reflection.

"Let's just go in Spike. I'm beat."

You head for the library, and Spike runs along after realizing that you left him behind. The interior is fit for living, true to the mayor's word, with beds and tables. You would go into more detail, but it's been a long trip and you're very tired. You decide to go to bed early.

"Night Twilight," said Spike as you tucked in.

"Goodnight Spike."

…

**Sleep overtakes you, until...**

You awaken in completely surrounding darkness.

"Where am I? Why's it so dark?"

You concentrate and conjure a sphere of light from your horn to illuminate the darkness. To your dismay there is only a desolate corridor with absolute darkness beyond your light in every direction, and even with the light source everything has a murky look. You decide to walk around a bit.

"What kind of place is this?"

The ground you're walking on is a uniform gray covered in dust and various gray rock particles. It's all very dismal. Suddenly you hear a voice.

"_Do you know why you're here?"_

"Huh? Who said that?"

You decide to follow the voice as there is nowhere else to go.

"Hello? Is someone there?"

"_If you seek the truth, come closer… if you dare."_

"Who are you?"

You keep heading forward in the direction of the voice. You soon come upon a large nightshade-blue curtain draped over the path you've been following. You can sense somepony beyond it. Open the curtain and proceed?

**Yes**

The curtain draws open upon your decision. Stepping through you begin to feel heavy, and even though you didn't think it possible the darkness has somehow become thicker. The light you're projecting appears to be caving in to the encroaching black to your growing distress.

"_Your reason for being here isn't special, because you're not special."_

"What?"

"_The truth of the matter is you were sent here because Celestia has grown tired of you."_

The voice is now beginning to sound all too familiar.

"No. No she hasn't. She trusts me!"

"_All that 'promise' you had withered up long ago. You've become stale, a most disappointing pupil in her eyes."_

"That's not true!"

The darkness before you has begun to converge and is taking shape. A seething shadow rises from the dark.

"_As smart as you are, you love to play the fool a lot. But both you and I know the real reason you were sent out here to this bothersome town."_

"No!"

"_Dearest Celestia has found a more promising student, one guaranteed to achieve true greatness. She gave you this assignment so you would be out of the way while she molds a more favorable understudy. In time, she'll assign you permanent residence in this town so you can live out your days in forgotten ignorance. You've been sent here to DIE."_

"That's a lie! Stop saying those things!"

You shut your eyes and turn your head from the harsh words, but you cannot fully deny them. You sense a familiar presence in front of you, glaring into your cowering form.

"_There's no point in denying what I say; it's all very true. How do I know? Simple: Because dear Twilight, I am-"_

"NO YOU'RE NOT!"

A surge of energy fills you after your shout. The light that had been weakening atop your horn suddenly flares out and reduces the darkness considerably.

"_What?"_

"Celestia would never do that to me. She had cared for me for so long, and she's always put great trust in me. These 'true' feelings you speak of would cast doubt on that trust, and I would never betray her like that!"

Your conviction brings about another surge of energy from within. You feel the darkness around you retreating, and the presence before you weakening.

"_How is this possible?"_

"Just stop talking! Stop talking THIS INSTANT!"

A massive surge of energy erupts from your horn and engulfs the area in a blinding white light. You begin to lose consciousness.

**Author's Note: So here it is, my very first MLP fic. And like the game this chapter is more of a prologue of things to come (or at least part of one). Feel free to give critiques through reviews or PMs, particularly ones about the length. Thanks for reading!**


	2. Meeting the Locals

**Day Two, Sunny**

**Meeting the Locals**

You wake up with a frazzled mane. The sun beaming through the window by your bed makes your waking up even harsher.

"What kind of nightmare was that?"

Though you say it was a nightmare you're feeling clear-headed strangely enough, as though you've been hit with indescribably clarity or something. You look around your new abode now bathed in sunlight. Across from your bed is a self full of books, and down on the lower floor are walls covered in more shelves of books of various colors and spine designs. So many books make the new surroundings quite cozy to you. Looking out the window nearby you ascertain that it's about noon. Remembering what the mayor said you decide that you'll go out to the town square. After deciding this you then notice the little snores coming from Spike near the base of your bed.

"Spike? Spike!"

The sleepy dragon rolls around in his basket and mumbles sleepily.

"Huh. No mommy, ten more minutes…"

He keeps snoozing.

"It's late Spike; get up already," you said in a more affirmative voice. You see him lift his head and yawn before opening his eyes to look at you.

"Oh hey Twilight. Did you get a good night's sleep?"

"I've decided to go into town and perhaps speak with the locals. I figure you should come along too."

"Really? It's funny, I was certain you'd want to stay in for afternoon study or some excuse like that from the way you kept being grumpy all yesterday."

"Well Celestia did want me to go out and socialize with other ponies while I'm here as part of my assignment. Also that sleep put me in a really good mood apparently."

Spike got up on his feet in excitement.

"That's great Twi! That sort of attitude is what the princess would want, plus while we're in town we can get some breakfast. I still haven't eaten anything and boy am I hungry!"

The little dragon practically hopped out of his basket and down to the foyer going on and on.

"We'll go in a sec Spike; I just need to freshen up."

You take the time to straighten out your mane before heading out with Spike. What exciting adventures await you in town? Let's skip ahead and find out!

**Time passes. It's early afternoon, and you and Spike head for the town square.**

You and Spike walk past some of the houses of the village that lead up to the town square. Beneath the radiant sunlight the color schemes and designs of the houses are striking in how nice-looking they are. In fact you marvel at just how wonderful a day today is. Aside from the sunshine there is hardly a cloud in the sky and from the occasional ponies that pass you by you get a sense of neighborliness from their presence. It's so surprisingly nice that you would swear that the very plants themselves are singing in joy. But what a ridiculous thought you thought. You imagine that anyone who ever wrote such a description on paper would look really dumb if they tried to make it seem serious.

Just then you hear a commotion fast approaching from behind.

"Get out of the way y'all!"

You and Spike sidestep to the left and watch a brown and red blur zip past you followed by a crash. Some yards ahead you spot an overturned cart and its spilled contents of apples that wasn't there a second ago, and beside the crashed cart an auburn haired pony with a blonde mane and tail with a farm hat was lying on her back.

"Consarnit. I may have sprained my knee, ow ow ow."

That spill looked painful. You decide to leave her alone. Wait, seriously?

"Shouldn't you help her Twilight?"Spike asked, to which you mildly sighed:

"I might as well."

You go over to the fallen pony with Spike in tow. After some nudging and lifting you get the pony back on her feet.

"Much obliged there friend. Twere fortunate you dinit get hurt as well."

The pony stomps one of her hooves a few times before resuming.

"Heck, I don't seem to be hurt neither; guess that makes us doubly lucky."

The chipper pony with the accent then takes a closer look at you.

"Reckon I haven't seen you before."

"Oh, that's because we just moved here yesterday. I'm Twilight Sparkle and this here is Spike."

You turn your head in Spike's direction only to catch him in the act of trying to snarf down one of the apples.

"Spike!"

He gives you an innocent look.

"What? I said I was hungry, and besides these apples have been on the ground."

"They're not yours. Now put it back," you told him sternly.

The other pony seems oblivious to this scene as she continues from before, notably more excited.

"You just moved here? Landsakes you shoulda said something sooner! The name's Applejack, head handler of Sweet Apple Farms: Ponyville's main proprietor of deeeelicious apples. Pleasure to make your acquaintance Twilight Sparkle."

As she says this the upbeat pony grabs your hoof and shakes it rapidly in what you think is her unique way of a hoof-shake. Luckily she stops before your leg goes numb.

"Uh, same to you Applejack."

Such outwardness in greeting makes you uneasy; however Spike approaches to give his share.

"Howdy there Applejack. I'm Spike and I'm Twilight's dutiful assistant extraordinaire."

Did he seriously just call himself that?

"Well ain't you something adorable," Applejack commented. "Imagine what Pinkie Pie will say when she gets a gander at you. Which reminds me I suddenly remembered what I was in the middle of doing."

Applejack begins to look frantic.

"I'm supposed to be deliverin' this large shipment of apples today but I kinda overslept on account of harvesting a little late last night. I had been hurryin' to get there in time but my foolhardy self went and got this rickety cart turned on its side."

She looks at you with pleading eyes.

"Sorry to bother you further but could you maybe help me get these apples in order? I'd really appreciate it, plus I could give you some of em for compensation."

"Count me in!"

Spike is much too eager to agree to something when food is involved…

"Well I guess it would be the neighborly thing to do," you reason out-loud.

"Darn tootin'!" Applejack agreed. "You're alright Twilight. And hey, I'm gonna be meetin' one of my friends after I'm done with this delivery so you can meet her as well. She's definitely a pony that likes making new friends."

"Is that so?"

A friend-loving pony; what might that entail? Regardless, you and Applejack begin the long tedious task of setting up the cart and collecting the spilled apples. Until you think of an even faster method.

"Actually I think this might be easier."

With a mild bit of concentration you use your magic to reposition the cart and move all the apples back into it. As a bonus you detect a defect in one of the cart's wheels and fix it so that it's less wobbly. Magic sure is convenient! And Applejack's expression at what she witnessed totally agrees!

"Whoa. You got apple-lifting powers?" she asked.

"Not exactly."

Spike appears glum.

"I really wanted those apples," he bemoaned.

"Shucks little fella, you can have one for offerin' to help."

Applejack takes an apple from the cart and tosses it to Spike. His eyes widen with delight.

"Sweet!"

Spike begins munching on the apple contentedly. You decide to explain the specifics of your powers to Applejack as you head for the square, but in no time you, her and Spike get lost in small talk.

A short while later you and Applejack are still talking while Spike is munching on his fourth straight apple.

"So you know princess Celestia personally? Gosh, you really are something, even without that fancy magic of yours."

"Well I'm not that much of something to be honest. I'm just really good at studying."

"Heck girl, I reckon spending all that time with books makes makin' friends right inconvenient."

"Yeah, which is partly the reason I'm here I guess."

This mention of your lack of friends is making you uncomfortable. Better change the subject.

"So this farm of yours, it's pretty large huh?"

"Yup!" Applejack acknowledged with her head held up. "Acres of apple trees as far as the eye can see, and the harvests are always plentiful."

"With so many apples guess it would be tough for other apple growers to sell their goods."

"What other apple growers?" Applejack gives you an honest look with that question, to which you give playful sigh.

"My point exactly."

The three of you reach the town square, which has a tall round white and brown multistory house in the center of it. Perhaps the town hall? Applejack speaks to you.

"Over there's where I need to drop off this cart. Wait here for a spell and I'll be right back in a jiffy."

Applejack leaves with her cart. It's just you and Spike as other ponies mill about.

"I've got to be honest Spike: That whole conversation was more cordial then I expected. I had no idea what these other ponies would be like, and though Applejack was kind of full of herself I really enjoyed talking to her. I bet you like her too given how okay she was with you eating her apple shipment."

"I think I have a tummy ache…" Spike groaned as he rubbed his scaly belly.

"That's because you ate them too fast you silly dragon. Anyway, I believe interacting with these locals is very well in h-"

You're interrupted by a very loud dramatic gasping right by your shoulder. You look around and see a pink poofy-maned pony inhaling greatly with bulging eyes staring straight at you.

"Oh My Gosh! Are you? Is that? What's this? It is! Just look. Right here. There-"

The hyper pony prattles on practically in rapid gibberish as she hops around looking over you and Spike from different angles. It's bewildering how she can pop up in several places at once like that. You decide to address her.

"Um, can I help you?"

The weird pony warps to the spot in front of you and bounces in place as she talks excitedly.

"You're new here aren't you? I could tell you're new because I know every pony in Ponyville. And when I saw you I didn't recognize you and so I thought 'That could mean only one thing' and just as I thought you're somebody new-"

"Um, could you try not running off like that Pinkie Pie…"

Your attention turns to an approaching mournful whisper, which you see was uttered by a cream-haired Pegasus pony with a pink flowing mane who timidly comes up to the hopping pony. Suddenly the hyper one's attention shifted to the soft-spoken one in a snap.

"Ooh ooh Fluttershy look I found a pony that's new to town! I was just explaining to her how I knew how she was new but anyway we should totally say hi to her!"

"That's nice Pinkie Pie but as I was saying you shouldn't leave without warning like that. It was so abrupt and I was about to worry…"

The pegasus' borderline woeful tone of voice makes you feel sorry for her, especially with the way she keeps looking down at the ground every other word.

"What in the hay is going on over here?"

Applejack has finally returned. Thank Celestia!

"I thought I recognized that commotion. Pinkie Pie what are you doin' hasslin' this here filly?"

The pink pony only got more excited.

"Applejack Applejack I found a pony that's new to town and as I was telling Fluttershy I was telling her about how-"

"I already know she's new to town Pinkie Pie so save yer breath."

"Okie doke!"

The hyper pony takes a deep breath and holds it in, looking ridiculous. Applejack turns to you with an apologetic look.

"Please excuse her Twilight. She makes a big fuss with every new pony she meets."

"I can see that…"

Applejack looks at the other two.

"And Fluttershy what're doin' here with Pinkie Pie?"

"It's because I brought her along!" the pink pony proclaimed using the breath she had been holding. The shy pony then spoke up… if you could call it such.

"Well, I was just tending my garden when Pinkie Pie skipped by and talked about meeting you here in the square and insisted that I come. At first I didn't want to but as I was walking here-"

"Wranglin' up ponies that don't want to come," interrupted Applejack. "Really Pinkie Pie you can be rude sometimes."

"No no no, it's alright," defended the shy pony to the best of her ability. "I remembered that there were some things I could pick up while in town for the chickens back home. Plus it's always nice to be with friends."

"Yeah exactly!" said the cheery pony, to which Applejack sighs.

"If you say so. But Fluttershy you really need to stand up for yerself more." Applejack then glanced at you before turning back. "But look at me, talkin' bout rudeness while you're being ignored and listenin' to this jibber jabber. Anyway these are two of my friends here in Ponyville."

"Pinkie Pie's the name if you didn't catch it before!" the hyper one sounded off.

"And I'm… Flutter… I'm Flutter…" the pegasus shyly mumbled.

"Fluttershy. I've heard it already," you inform her. Applejack looks at her friends.

"Girls, this is Twilight Sparkle. She and her little dragon friend Spike here moved in from Canterlot just yesterday."

Suddenly Fluttershy's face perked up and her eyes lit up with excitement.

"Did you say a little dragon friend?"

"Why yes, but more than that I'm also-" Spike gets interrupted as Fluttershy swoops over and lifts him up in her fore legs to snuggle him. "Hey what's the big-"

"A real live cutesy wootsy baby waby dragon I can't believe I'm actually holding one ohh it's so adorable."

It's as though Fluttershy did a complete demeanor turn-around, sounding like a relaxed Pinkie Pie as she cradles Spike in ecstasy.

"Fluttershy is the town's expert on small animals like birds and bunnies," Pinkie Pie explained. "And she goes gaga over baby ones especially. Don't you think that's weird of her?"

"Yer one to talk," chided Applejack.

"But a baby dragon is so rare and special, and this one's scales are so wonderful," Fluttershy continued before putting Spike down on the ground. "Spike was your name? You really have to tell me about yourself, right now."

"Talk about myself?"

Spike seemed confused at first, but then shifted to smug confidence.

"Well not to toot my own horn but-"

"He would love to tell you more about himself but I think we've talked enough."

You decided to halt what was promising to be a long-winded autobiography for you felt the beginning twangs of hunger in your gut. You also want a rest from this lively get-together for fear that the exchange of wildly different personalities would make your head spin.

"It's past noon and we haven't had breakfast yet. Or at least I haven't."

In hindsight you probably should have grabbed some of Applejack's apples while she was offering. Speaking of which, Applejack has something to say:

"I just got myself a great idea! Me and Pinkie Pie were gunna hang out after my delivery was done but I reckon we could head over to Sweet Apple Farms for an afternoon snack and have you and Spike join us, as well as Fluttershy since she's here as well."

"Really Applejack? That'd be really nice of you," thanked Fluttershy in a manner that sounded hopelessly adorable.

"I appreciate the invitation Applejack but I think we took up enough of your time-"

You try to decline but the work pony won't have it.

"Aw shucks sugar cube it won't be a hassle. I ain't got anything else to do rest of today an' what better way to know Ponyville then to see one of its most renowned landmarks."

"It'll be fun so you and Spike come come come please please please!" Pinkie Pie pleaded excitedly.

You considered taking up the invitation. Given the overall good nature of these ponies despite their personality quirks and the promise of lunch, you figure "why not?"

"Okay, me and Spike will come."

The other ponies look happy over this, especially Fluttershy, who talks to Spike as you all begin heading out.

"While we're heading over there, you can tell me all about yourself Spike."

"Hmm, what could I talk about? Well the beginning is as good a place as any. I was born…"

This was going to be a long walk indeed.


	3. The Rumor

**Day Two, Cloudy**

**The Rumor**

You are at Sweet Apple Acres enjoying lunch with Spike, Applejack and her two friends Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. You're all grouped around some tables beside the large red barn next to Applejack's house and there are plates of half-eaten apple snacks and drinks as well as snacks in the process of being eaten over the lively conversation that's been going on. In the surrounding area are hills and fields of nothing but apple trees, as Applejack had boasted previously.

"And then I was like, 'Oatmeal? Are you crazy?"

"Pinkie Pie, since when did you mention anything about oatmeal?" Applejack asked.

"I didn't. For some reason I felt like saying it."

Pinkie Pie sticks her tongue out for added silliness. You decide to say something considerably less silly.

"Thank you once again for the lunch Applejack. It was most delicious."

"And how!" Spike added with a face stuffed with apple tarts. Hard to believe he had a stomach ache from eating four apples earlier…

"Agin it's a pleasure. There've been lots of apples this year, and there's gonna be a whole lot more come Applebuck Season."

"Applebuck Season?"

"Yep: The largest apple harvest of the year in which every single tree on the farm gets plucked."

"And lots of those apples wind up getting made into yummy treats over at the Sugar Cube Corner, which is also where I live just so you know," Pinkie Pie said.

"You live in a sweets shop?" you asked.

"It's more of a bakery but YES! I live right above it and it's where I plan out all my biggest parties."

"Parties?"

"Pinkie Pie is Ponyville's unofficial head party planner," Applejack explained. "For any and all occasions she throws together some kind of big celebration, and ones for welcoming new residents are no exception."

"Is that so?"

You're getting a bad feeling about this.

"Yes so, Twilight! And I definitely have to throw a big super extra fantastic for you and Spike!"

The bad feeling has turned to looming dread. Let's see what Fluttershy has to say to hopefully alleviate that dread.

"So Fluttershy where in Ponyville do you live?"

"Oh, I live in a cottage some ways from the center of town," she answers in that ever-helplessly cute voice of hers. "There's no other pony living out there so it's quiet and peaceful."

"But wouldn't that make you lonely out there by yourself?" you ask.

"No not at all. There's all kinds of animals out there that keep me company, and I'm always in walking distance of Ponyville. Also I get regular visits from Rainbow Dash, and just today Pinkie Pie came over. So I'm never lonely."

"Rainbow Dash?"

Before you can ask further a little pony with a red mane wearing a bow scampers over to the table and goes up to Applejack.

"Applejack, when are you gunna play with me?"

"Not now Apple Bloom; Big Sis is spending time with her friends."

"But we didn't get to play yesterday because you were too busy. I want us to play nooow."

"Can't you play with Big Macintosh for a bit?"

"He's no fun, Sis. He doesn't like to run around like you do; I swear he's as stiff as the barn as well as bulky."

Applejack sighs.

"Alright little filly, just be patient for a lil' longer and I'll play with you."

"You promise?" the little pony gave a sad look with that question.

"I promise, and Big Sis never breaks her promises."

Applejack said that with an earnest smile. The little pony becomes cheerful.

"Great! See you later Big Sis!"

Apple Bloom gallops away with a bounce in her step. It seems you just caught a glimpse of Applejack's family life. Better inquire further.

"So do you live on this farm with just your little sister?"

"Nope. There's my big brother Big Macintosh whom I mentioned, and ole Granny Smith. I got plenty of family all over Equestria but most of the year it's just us four who manage the farm. Me and Macintosh are out picking apples most of the time so Apple Bloom is left with Granny Smith and she's too old to keep up with her. Young'un is a might active one so it can be troublesome."

"Must be tough on Apple Bloom not having anything to do," you sympathize.

"You'd think, but you'd be surprised at the number of things she can get her nose into. She's purty imaginative when it comes to gittin' in trouble I tell ya. Yep, she can be a real hoof-ful at times, but she's a good little sister."

"Sounds like you care a lot for her."

"That I do Twilight; big sisters always hafta look out for their kin."

You felt that you gained a better understanding of Applejack, but you lack a **relationship **that could benefit from this understanding. Until you get one you'll have to wait for another special moment of insight to reap those benefits.

"That bow Apple Bloom wears all the time is sooo cute," Pinkie Pie said, and then abruptly she addresses you. "So Twilight are you having fun?"

"Why yes I am, uh, Pinkie."

That's kind of a weird name to say now that you think about it. Anyway, more talking.

"It has been an interesting day so far, and Ponyville is starting to seem like an okay place to be."

"It's more than okay it's FANTASTIC!" Pinkie Pie shouted while hovering in midair, then settles down for what she had to say next. "Of course you'd know that if all our friends were here."

"Who else is there?" you ask, to which Applejack responded while holding up an apple to eat.

"Well there's two more to our lil' group Twilight. Fluttershy mentioned Rainbow Dash, who hasn't been around for a-"

"Get clear for landing!"

Suddenly a great blue and multicolor swoosh sweeps over the tables rustling everyone's manes before ending in a sound of skidding hooves. Looking to your side you see standing nearby a blue-haired Pegasus smiling triumphantly beneath an unkempt rainbow mane. The apple that Applejack had been holding was now bouncing atop the new arrival's snout.

"Rainbow Dash!" shouted Pinkie.

"How's it going everypony?" asked the Pegasus as she kept bouncing the apple with her eyes closed, rather smug of her.

"Well ain't today full of surprises," said Applejack. "What brings you to these parts Rainbow Dash?"

"I just happened to overhear my name while flying overhead and thought I'd drop by. And isn't it typical for good friends to visit unannounced?"

The Pegasus snatches the apple she was bouncing with her mouth and eats it in a few bites. She's now looking at you.

"What's with the unicorn?"

"This heres Twilight Sparkle," Applejack replied. "She just moved here yesterday with her dragon friend Spike, and it'd be wise not to be rude in welcomin' them."

"New to town? Well well well," the Pegasus started as she strutted over to you. "Allow me to say how incredibly lucky you are in seeing the great talented high-flying Rainbow Dash up close on your first day here."

"Forgive her attitude, Twilight," said Applejack. "Dash here's got it in her head that she's the most athletic and amazing pony in all Ponyville so she tends to act the part."

"Uh-hum, in all of Equestria," Rainbow Dash corrected. "Which I am, and in time after some training the Wonderbolts will realize it as well and make me a permanent member lickety split."

"You sure bout that?" questioned Applejack. "You can fly real fast sure but so can the Wonderbolts. Speed ain't gunna impress."

"I'm not just fast Applejack I'm also maneuverable!" boasted Dash. "Just yesterday I buzzed a chariot in mid-air at top speed while pulling one of Rarity's banners, no sweat."

What did she just say?

"That chariot, was it Pegasus drawn?" you ask her.

"Yeah, and they looked like royal Pegasus Guards too. I figured since I was doing Rarity a favor by hauling one of her banners around I'd make it interesting. I can imagine the looks on their faces at being dissed like that."

"How about imagining the look on my face!"

You confront the braggart.

"You 'buzzed' the chariot that was carrying me and Spike; we could have fallen off hundreds of feet above the ground because of you!"

"Whoops."

She doesn't seem so cocky anymore in the face of your outrage.

"Yo Dash! What's with the hold-up?"

The flapping of great wings hails the arrival of a beastly sort of individual that has the head, wings and talons of an eagle and the body of a lion. Hold on, you know this type of creature! Time to state the obvious.

"A griffon?"

"Just checking in on my pals, Gilda," Dash said to the feathery creature before turning her attention to you once again. "Seems it's your extra lucky day Twilight. This here is my pal Gilda whom I've been friends with since Junior Speedster Camp. She's from out of town so most ponies don't get to meet her except the most 'in' of the Rainbow Dash in-crowd."

"Meaning just your three other friends who happen to be around," Applejack said rather disdainfully.

"Hey there Gilda it's been awhile!" Pinkie Pie greeted and waved enthusiastically.

"Hey Pinkie Pie," Gilda said dismissedly. "Yo Fluttershy, been working on losing the helplessness act finally?"

"Hello Gilda," Fluttershy replied timidly. "Well to tell the truth I haven't been working exclusively on it but I still-"

"Lame."

Gilda's shunting of Fluttershy made the pony look sad. You feel a spark of rage deep within you for some reason.

"Hey Dash, how bout I race ya over to that mountain over there? I want to spread my wings before we eat."

"You got it pal!" Dash accepted readily. "Bump it."

The two bump hoof and talon, then Gilda takes off. Dash looks back at the rest of you.

"Well gotta go. Great talking with you guys, and thanks for the apple."

With that the punkster pony takes off in an instant.

"That apple was mine y'know," Applejack grumbled.

Pinkie Pie suddenly raises a commotion.

"Guys I just remembered something really neat that I wanted to tell you! The other day I overheard a rumor outside the bakery that sounded really cool and that I could share with you all."

"What kind of rumor Pinkie Pie?" inquired Applejack.

"I wanted to say it to everyone here including Dash but she left just when I remembered, and of course Rarity is away. Ah well three out of five friends is good enough. Wait I'm sorry, four out of five friends. That's even way better!"

"Four friends?" you ask. "You're including me?"

"Of course silly; I make friends with every new pony always, and telling you this extra special neato rumor makes you being a friend official! Anyway here goes."

You're not sure what to make of that line of reasoning, however Pinkie Pie has assumed a rumor-telling stance and is about to speak.

"So, the rumor goes: On rainy nights, right when it turns midnight, if you look into a mirror with all the lights off, you see someone besides yourself in it."

"Come again?" Applejack asked.

"But it's not just anyone. Apparently the one you see in the mirror that isn't you is your foal-ma-, sorry, your soul-mate."

"Soul-mate?" Fluttershy asked cautiously. "As in, somepony you-"

"Yes: A pony that you wind up being with, Foreeeeeeeever. And, they call this image…. Your **Midnight Reflection**."

Suddenly the atmosphere around you has become very grave, almost like a dramatic sting of some kind.

"Now hold on a hay-pickin' minute," Applejack said to break the aforementioned atmosphere. "Your soul-mate appears in a mirror when you look at it at midnight? Sounds like hogwash t'me."

"I have to agree," you said. "From the way it sounds it seems more like a ghost story than a rumor."

"Nuh-uh," Pinkie Pie denounced. "If that were true then it'd be really spooky. But I think it's really neat, therefore not spooky. Not in the slightest."

"I don't know Pinkie Pie," said Fluttershy. "Staying up to midnight, and it has to be raining outside. That sounds spooky to me."

"But you get to see your soul-mate! Wouldn't you want to know who you'd be spending forever and ever with if you had the chance?"

Uncomfortable silence befalls the group, but Pinkie Pie continues undeterred.

"I say we all try it tonight!"

"Tonight?" you ask.

"There's supposed to be a rainstorm in a while that'll last until tomorrow morning. I say we all stay up to midnight and see if the rumor is true for ourselves, then talk about it tomorrow!"

"Now that you mention it the sky's gotten cloudy all a sudden," Applejack observed for a moment, and then turned back to the proposition at hand. "Anyway it's some crazy rumor, and I ain't gunna lose sleep to stay up whether to see if it's true or not."

"Most of the animals are asleep well before midnight, and my bedtime's usually around theirs," said Fluttershy.

"Okay fine, then it's just down to me and Twilight!"

"Huh?"

"I'm gonna go home right now and train for the upcoming viewing of my soul-mate. See you tomorrow!"

With that Pinkie Pie dashes off as quickly as Rainbow Dash had previously.

"How do you train to see your soul-mate?" you asked incredulously.

"Don't worry about it Twilight. It's just Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie, as you'll come to learn after you've been here awhile."

Applejack's words make you relieved. Your **Alleviation** has increased.

"Well it looks like there's indeed gunna be a storm," Applejack continued. "You and Spike are free to stay here until it passes. Not much room in the house but the barn is just as good if you want."

"Thanks for the offer but I think me and Spike can get home before it starts to rain. Ready to go Spike?"

The little guy seems practically comatose. He's been eating this whole time.

"So… full…"

You sigh.

"I guess I'm carrying you back."

You go over and put Spike on your back and make to leave.

"I'll be going home too," spoke Fluttershy. "It was nice being here Applejack."

"It was a pleasure having you come Fluttershy," Applejack said in honesty. "And it was real swell to have met you Twilight."

"Yes, very nice to have met you, and Spike," Fluttershy said graciously.

"Yeah, it was great meeting you guys as well. We'll have to do this again sometime."

Spike sure is heavy…

"You bet we will, and I'm sure it'll be real soon. Have a nice day y'all," Applejack said.

"Same to you."

You all said your goodbyes and went your separate ways as the clouds overhead thicken.

**Time Passes. You and Spike make it home by nightfall. As Pinkie predicted, it's raining outside.**

You're standing in the central area of your library home. Up above Spike is tucked in and digesting apples and assorted baked goods in peaceful slumber. The steady rainfall outside creates a calming pattering against the windows of the library, but you're wide awake oddly enough. What is there to do?

"It's been such a busy day, but I'm still feeling energetic."

You mull over this predicament. Suddenly you're struck with an idea!

"I guess I could look over and arrange the books here to work off this energy. I'd do it eventually anyway, so why not?"

You begin looking over the books of the library to pass the time. You memorize the way the books are organized, what sections are where, and even reorder books that have been put in the wrong places. The soothing sound of rain causes you to get lost in the task, and a good deal of time passes. Eventually you become satisfied with the amount of work you've accomplished.

"There, everything accounted for. This will undoubtedly make studying go by quicker now that I've committed the location of every book to memory."

Your **OCD** has increased. You're not feeling as energetic as before.

"Guess that did the trick; I'm getting a little sleepy."

You give a yawn and look around the room. Your gaze is caught by something on the mantel over the fireplace: The clock is almost at midnight.

"Wow; I've been working that late? I should get to bed then."

However a thought in the back of your mind begins nagging you. You recall the thing Pinkie Pie had been spouting about, the "Midnight Reflection." Supposedly if you look into a mirror on a rainy night at midnight your soul-mate appears.

"Pure nonsense… Although, it is almost midnight. And I'm awake. And there's a perfectly good mirror…"

Your curiosity is brimming. Will you test Pinkie Pie's far-fetched and totally superstitious and thus unlikely to actually occur rumor?

**-Yes**

**-Definitely**

**-Sure**

**-There's no "No" option _**

"Guess it wouldn't hurt to humor her."

You use your magic to turn off the lights since Pinkie Pie mentioned something about the lights needing to be off, plus the added spook factor might make it interesting. You walk over to the mirror by one of the writing desks and brace yourself for midnight. The silence of the room is compounded by the soft rain outside; it's so quiet that every tick of the mantel clock sounds ten times louder. Seconds pass by and you're finding yourself feeling anxious despite what is to be a predictable outcome. And then, the clock strikes midnight.

You stare at the mirror intently. Seconds pass by. Nothing is showing up other than the image of yourself standing in a dark room looking silly.

"Hmph. Just a baseless ghost story, as I predicted."

As you start turning to head for bed you see something peculiar. Did the surface of the mirror just ripple?

"What the?"

You look at the mirror more intently now. Your reflection begins to waver as though it were liquid or gaseous, and the room within it seems to be getting darker. Suddenly you spot something arising in the background behind your mirror image. It's rather blurry but you can make out a bold shape, almost beastly looking. There are points sticking out of its back that are bending; the whole thing looks like something bathed in tar. However on the thing's pointy face is a pair of yellow eyes that look angry but at the same time in pain. Even freakier, they're looking right at you.

You then begin to make out the aspects of the extra image. The things on the beast's back are wings, and that pointy face is a beak. You've seen this creature before, earlier today in fact. It's undoubtedly a griffon. Could it be Gilda, albeit all distorted-looking?

As you look on you can't help but notice how realistic the reflection looks despite the murkiness, inviting even. There's a painful throbbing in your head, but when you stumble toward the mirror it lightens up. You walk over to within inches of the mirror, at which point the pain has been reduced to a fine ringing. Still looking into the mirror you raise a hoof subconsciously, and without thought you slowly bring it toward the mirror surface.

To your immense shock the moment your hoof touches the glass it sinks into it. The sensation is very cold like ice water. Suddenly something tugs at your hoof from within the mirror and starts pulling. Panicking you try to pull back but you find yourself in a stalemate with some kind of unseen being for possession of your hoof. You give a great pull and abruptly your hoof is withdrawn from the mirror with a pop and you fall flat on your rump from the exertion.

You quickly look back at the mirror, but there's only you looking back at you sitting on the floor. The image is perfectly normal: Clear, and with no shadowy Gilda in sight. Also the pain in your head has stopped completely.

"What… What was that just now?"

Were you merely hallucinating? Did Pinkie's words somehow get to your head and make you go temporarily insane? Better stop considering that conclusion for your sake you tell yourself.

"I must be more tired than I thought, hehe…"

It is pretty late and you had been looking over books for a long period of time. You decide to go to bed as rain continues to fall outside.


	4. A Terrible Incident

**Day Three, Foggy**

**A Terrible Incident**

It's a little past noon and you and Spike are walking around Ponyville. You have been feeling groggy and restless ever since you woke up, and not even the breakfast you had makes you feel any better, plus the weather isn't helping either. Despite your attempts to hide your lethargy Spike picks up on it relatively quickly.

"Are you feeling alright Twilight?" he asked.

You sigh.

"No I'm not Spike. I'm very tired."

"At this time of day?" Spike asked. "It's weird: Yesterday you were fully rested but today you're tired. It's a mystery."

"No it's not Spike I just stayed up late is all," you said impatiently. "While you were sleeping off those snacks I was busy reorganizing the library, which is a job you normally do without me asking."

"Geez Twilight why are you taking it out on me? And since when was it my job to reorganize every book collection we come across, huh?"

You feel guilty for your show of animosity toward Spike.

"I'm sorry Spike. I'm just not feeling one hundred percent right now and it's making me grumpy."

"I understand," he says. "Maybe if we went back home you could take a nap. That could make you feel better."

"Excellent idea Spike," you say. "It doesn't look like anything exciting is going to be happening this day anyway."

After finishing that statement you bump into the back of somepony.

"Oops, pardon me."

"Watch where you're going, peasant!"

You look at the upset pony you bumped into and find her to be a blue-haired pony with a light blue mane wearing a showy purple hat and cape with blue stars on them. She looks none too pleased at first, but upon getting a full look of you she eyes you rather intently.

"My, what is it we have here? A unicorn I've never seen before, how curious."

"Uh, yes, I'm new to town. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and this-"

The oddly-dressed pony abruptly turns her back to you and holds a hoof before your face distastefully.

"Spare me your underclass courtesies; it's belittling to one such as me."

"Excuse me?"

You wonder what this pony's deal is.

"Even if you are a unicorn of possible rival potential you have no right to address me unless I've addressed you beforehand."

"But you just addressed me-"

"Still your tongue, neigh-sayer, or do you wish to be bedazzled by the grandeur of the Great and Powerful Trixie?"

Spike steps in to address the obnoxious pony.

"What's your problem? Twilight just introduces herself but you act like she threw mud in your face. Like you're a big shot super great pony-"

"That's because she is!"

Dashing up to the rude pony's side are two young ponies: A lanky orange-haired unicorn with a green mane and a simplistic look on his face, and a short chubby blue unicorn with an orange mane and buckteeth.

"Trixie is the most powerful and talented unicorn in all of Ponyville," said the tall one.

"No, in all Equestria!" corrected the short one excitedly. "She defeated an Ursa Major all by herself. How can she NOT be great?"

"Yeah, what he said," the tall pony said.

The fancy blue pony chuckles.

"See, now this is how you address a unicorn of my caliber: With well-deserved praise and admiration."

"Pfff, whatever," Spike dismissed.

"It comes as no surprise you wouldn't think this given your, hm, 'low' standing," the boastful pony teased. "Perhaps today's fog has blinded you to the glory that naturally emanates from me, otherwise you wouldn't be speaking to me with such ignorant doubt."

This whole situation is making your head more groggy and desperate for rest. How can you put a stop to this before it gets more vexing?

"Hey Twilight; fancy seeing you here agin."

From nearby Applejack walks up to you, followed by a bouncing Pinkie Pie and timid Fluttershy wearing saddlebags. Talk about luck!

"Oh look, it's some of the local fare," said Trixie. "How quaint."

"Oh joy, we have the 'great and powerful' Trixie in our midst," Applejack said sarcastically. "Is she getting in your mane, Twilight?"

"All Twilight did was bump into her accidentally and this Trixie pony rambles on about how great she is," recounted Spike to Applejack.

"No surprise. Why do you insist on giving every pony a hard time whenever yer around, Trixie?" Applejack asked.

"It isn't my fault I keep running into the unenlightened every time I set my hooves in this abysmal town," Trixie said condescendingly. "And for your information you shouldn't worry your backcountry head over my presence for I stopped by to pick up some supplies before resuming my amazing magical tour."

"Well you be on your way then. I think you've been a hassle to enough ponies today," said Applejack.

"Like I need you to tell me what to do," Trixie dismissed before turning to leave. "Come along, admirers. There's still much shopping to do and plenty for you to carry."

"Yes Trixie!"

"Sure thing!"

Trixie and her two supporters finally leave. You turn to Applejack and the others with a look of relief.

"Thank you Applejack. I honestly didn't know what to make of her."

"That's just how Trixie is with anypony that isn't herself, always telling everypony how great and amazing she is. It gets annoyin' fast," Applejack explained. "Sorry that you had to put up with her braggin' for however long it was."

"It's okay. I'm just glad you stepped in when you did."

You look at the others.

"Say why are you all here anyway?"

Fluttershy is first to answer.

"You see, in spending time with everyone yesterday I had forgotten to pick up the things I came to pick up, so I'm doing just that. Pinkie and Applejack just happened to be around while I was doing it."

"You're free to tag along once agin, Twilight," offered Applejack.

Maybe some time with these ponies will improve your state of mind?

"Sure, I could hang out with you guys."

"Super!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie.

"I think I'll head back home instead," Spike said. "This fog feels kinda weird on my scales. Have fun without me."

Spike leaves.

"See you later, Spike."

The four of you head in the direction of the shops.

"Does it normally get this foggy?" you ask.

"Fog ain't uncommon, but I dun can't recall the last time it was this thick," Applejack said. "I s'pose all that rain musta caused this."

"Hey speaking of rain I-"

You interrupt Pinkie Pie to ask Applejack a question.

"Yesterday Pinkie mentioned that you were a group of five friends. Who's the fifth one?"

"You know something else I mentioned-"

Pinkie is interrupted by Applejack's reply.

"That'd be Rarity. She's a unicorn who fancies herself the sophisticated type, 'unsuited' for regular Ponyville living."

"She's a really talented decorator and fashion designer," Fluttershy added. "She also has the ability to find precious gems, which make her dresses really shine."

"Rarity even helped decorate some of my bigger parties. Now as I was saying-"

Oops, Fluttershy is still talking. Sorry Pinkie Pie :P

"Rarity runs the Carousel Boutique, but she hasn't been around for some time."

"She was discovered by a famous designer named Hoity Toity," Applejack explained. "She's been out showin' off her dresses throughout Equestria for over a month now. Ain't no one has a clue when she'll be comin' back, although maybe-"

"You Guys I Have Something To SAAAAAY!"

A loud clashing of cymbals draws everyone's attention to a flustered Pinkie Pie clanging two metal discs that she pulled from seemingly nowhere. She stops after a second before tossing them aside.

"What is it Pinkie Pie?" Applejack asked annoyed.

"What is what? Oh right, my report!"

Pinkie begins bouncing eagerly.

"I tried out the Midnight Reflection rumor last night, and it's totally real!"

Did you hear that right?

"Really Pinkie?" Fluttershy asked surprised.

"That weird pony tale of yours? There's no way," doubted Applejack.

"Yes way!" reproached Pinkie Pie. "I stayed up late to see it for myself like I said I would; I even had Gummy hold my eyelids whenever I got really tired. And when midnight came something appeared in the mirror just as the rumor foretold!"

You stiffen your neck at what she said. She saw something too?

"You were tired was all Pinkie," said Applejack. "Of course you'd see something in the mirror when yer head's all sleep-deprived. Or you were probably asleep and dreamed that you were staying up and seeing somethin' strange in the mirror."

"I wasn't asleep, and my eyes saw what they saw," continued Pinkie. "And what the mirror showed me was that Gilda was my soul-mate!"

Your insides begin to freeze. What sort of coincidence is this? Whatever it is, you're definitely frightened.

"Say what?" Applejack said in disbelief.

"Oh my!" meekly exclaimed Fluttershy.

"I couldn't believe it either," said Pinkie Pie unaffected by everyone's reaction. "But she was there, looking right at me. She looked kinda upset but then again how would you feel if you were staring at your secret soul-mate? Come to think of it I've never thought of Gilda that way, or any other way for that matter. It's so weird!"

"Okay that's enough Pinkie Pie," Applejack said sternly. "You've been pullin' our tails more than enough. Fluttershy's getting' upset here."

"I'm not really upset Applejack," Fluttershy said. "It's just, it comes as a complete shock if it were true."

"Which it ain't," confirmed Applejack. "I mean really Pinkie Pie you have some crazy imagination."

"I'm telling you guys it's not imaginary. I'm destined to be with Gilda," Pinkie Pie says rather carefree.

"And I'm telling you it's utter hooey. Tell her Twilight."

Applejack is looking at you for a supporting opinion, but you're feeling unwell. You cannot convince yourself that this is mere coincidence. Yet why did Pinkie Pie see the same thing you did? And the other aspect from last night with the mirror…

You decide to tell them what happened the night before.

"Actually Applejack, Pinkie might be on to something. Because, I saw it as well; Gilda I mean."

"Huh?"

Applejack gives you a look but Pinkie Pie bounces cheerfully.

"Yes! I knew Twilight would pull through! Wait, you saw Gilda too?"

You explain further.

"I wasn't feeling tired so I did some things to pass the time and before I knew it it was midnight. I decided to try the rumor out since there'd be no harm in it, and just like with Pinkie Pie Gilda had appeared in the mirror when I looked into it. And she looked back at me."

"You cannot be serious," Applejack said in utter disbelief.

"Wait, how can Gilda be both our soul-mates?" Pinkie Pie deliberated. "That would ruin the specialness wouldn't it?"

"But there was more to it," you continued. "Shortly after Gilda appeared in the mirror, I went up to it and-"

"What's happening everypony?"

Your suspenseful revelation is cut short as Rainbow Dash swoops down and does a mid-air flip before flapping in a hovering position over the group.

"You guys really stand out in this fog the way you're grouped together. Very easy to spot."

"Were you actually flying in all this dense fog?" Fluttershy asked concerned.

"It was no biggie," Dash assured. "I just stay low and keep an eye out for houses. Anyway have any of you seen Gilda today?"

"Not since yesterday; how come?" Applejack asked.

"She never showed up at my house last night. She told me she was going out for a late night snack but never came back; I figured she might have taken shelter from the rain down here."

"She's bound to show up don't you worry," said Applejack.

"I'm not worried," Dash denied. "We have some serious hanging out to do and it's already past lunch!"

Just then two ponies walk by hurriedly chatting loudly amongst themselves.

"Where could they be going in such a rush?" you wonder outloud.

"It might be interesting; let's check it out!" said Pinkie.

You all decide to follow the ponies. After some walking (in Dash's case hovering) you come upon a small gathering of ponies standing and chattering near what looks like the town flower shop.

"That's quite a commotion," you point out. "What could it be?"

Though you know nothing of what is taking place you sense something grave hanging in the foggy air.

"Alright all of you disperse and return home! There's an investigation underway."

The wall of gawking ponies break away and you all see the pony that issued the statement: A light brown stallion with a worn-out jacket draped over his back. He had a black mane that was beginning to turn gray, and he had a rough stubble on his chin. Perhaps somepony should ask him what all this is about.

"Scuse me, but what's goin' on?" Applejack asked the stone-jawed stallion.

"Nothing of your concern filly. Go about your business," he replied gruffly.

"That's funny; I don't think I ever saw you around before," Pinkie Pie mentioned.

"That's because I'm technically supposed to be retired," he explained. "Just my luck, only a week since retirement began and I'm called in to do an investigation."

"An investigation? For what?" you asked.

"Huuuuh, me and my mouth," he grumbled. "Anyway, I'm Detective Gumhoof, and if you really want to know there's been an accident this morning."

"An accident?" Fluttershy worriedly said.

"It's nothing serious I assure you," he assured, rather unconvincingly. "Now you and your friends run along; there's already enough onlookers and it's disrupting the professional handling of this case."

Just then a gray-haired loopy Pegasus with a blonde mane and lopsided eyes flutters over to the detective.

"Sir sir! I took the body down and had it covered as requested!" she reported with enthusiasm. But the detective looked displeased.

"Derpy, I told you to have the body removed from the area, not covered!"

"You did?" the Pegasus asked dumbly. "Well the important thing is it's out of the public view. Just so you know there weren't any body canvas' but through quick thinking I used a table cloth instead, so no civilians will be the wiser!"

Nearby you hear somepony.

"What's with this table? It's so bump-! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH! THE HORROR, THE HORROR!"

Gumhoof looks at the ditzy Pegasus sternly, and the Pegasus gives a nervous laugh.

"Well then," she said. "I best be moving that body then."

She flies off in a hurry. Gumhoof sighs and puts a hoof to his face.

"It's bad politics when a tired old workhorse like me is the only certified ponicide investigator."

He turns around to look at all of you seriously.

"You've heard enough. Get out of here before I take you all in for solicitation!"

With that threat the crowd finally disperses. You overhear some ponies talking as you and the others leave.

"So it's true: Somepony did die."

"He said ponicide so does that mean murder?"

"That's a scary thought!"

"Somepony said that the body was found sprawled on the roof of the flower shop. That's gotta be quite the sight."

"I don't even think it's actually ponicide. I heard that it was a griffon that was found."

"A griffon!" Dash cried coming to a stand-still midair.

"You okay Dash?" you ask.

"Uh, I'm fine. Yeah, perfectly alright," she said nervously. "It's unfortunate what happened, but I'm sure it has nothing to do with Gilda. I mean, there's no way, right? Not at all of course!"

She's sounding more desperate as she talks, and you notice she's visibly shaking. She pauses with a face wracked with fear, and then,

"Oh man!"

Dash shoots off back toward the crime scene, and you hear the ensuing voices from that direction.

"Hey I'm trying to move a body here!"

"Move it cross-eyes I gotta see!"

There is a noticeably loud gasp of horror.

"No… NO!"

Suddenly Dash returns only to shoot past the group and head upwards toward the fog-choked sky. It looked as though she was shutting her eyes tightly when she went by.

"Oh no…" Applejack murmured with sympathetic worry as she looked up in the direction of Dash's exit.

Fluttershy steps forward.

"I'll go after her. Maybe try to calm her down."

Fluttershy takes off after Dash. The air has grown heavy. You cannot believe what has transpired. Somebody has died today in town, and it was none other than the one that appeared last night in the mirror. Had it been an omen?

"Poor Rainbow Dash," said Applejack sadly. "Of all the things to happen, one of her friends dies so suddenly. I can't imagine what that's like, but it has to be gosh darn depressing…"

Morbidly enough Pinkie Pie has been really quiet for some time. After she looks around uncomfortably she turns to you both.

"Hey, maybe we could go check out Twilight's place?"

Applejack looks at Pinkie angrily.

"Who wants to do any visitin' after what just happened? We should be worryin' bout Dash!"

"It's just I thought it'd be something to do to take our minds off what happened, plus Fluttershy went to look after Dash so maybe we could do something in the meantime. Just a thought."

Pinkie Pie looks down at the ground dejected and possibly ashamed, which is a startling sight to you to be honest. Applejack continues.

"Though it's just a thought Pinkie I dun think Twilight here is in any mood to be lettin' people come to her house. It'd just be rude on top of insensitive to what's goin' on."

When you think about it, just standing around worrying about Rainbow Dash won't accomplish anything, and finding her in this fog would be hard to do. Showing them your house would be something to do at least.

"I wouldn't mind showing you my place if you want," you reply. "It's awful what Rainbow Dash has gone through, but maybe she needs some time alone, at least until Fluttershy finds her. I get the impression she'd be best at talking with her, so we probably shouldn't crowd in on her for now."

"You don't have to if you don't want, Twilight," Applejack said sincerely.

"It's okay. Consider it my way of thanking you for lunch yesterday."

"Alright, if you say so then we'll come visit Twilight," Applejack said.

"Great," Pinkie Pie said in a softened cheerful tone. "Maybe if the fog clears up while we're over there we can go look for Dash and Fluttershy."

"Good idea," agreed Applejack before turning to you. "Lead the way, Twilight."

You nod, then proceed to take the two ponies to your home through the thick fog.

**Time Passes. It's early evening, and you make it back home with Applejack and Pinkie Pie.**

You step into the main part of your home with Applejack and Pinkie Pie behind.

"Welcome home Twilight," greeted Spike, who was on the upper floor. "Hey, you brought guests."

"Yeah. They wanted to see the place so I brought them over for a little while."

"Sounds fine to me," he said.

Spike hops down to your level and approaches you.

"I did some looking around after I got back, and there's a laboratory in the basement. There's all kinds of high-tech gear; it was probably set up some sort of intense research."

"Ooh I got an idea for intense research!" Pinkie Pie said in her noisy perky old self. "Let's see what kind of intense cupcakes can be made!"

Pinkie hops over in the direction of the basement door.

"Wait! They aren't used for cooking, I think…"

Spike hurries after Pinkie to stop a potential catastrophe, or cause one you briefly fret. Applejack calmly walks around and looks over the interior.

"The town library. It looks nice," she said mildly.

"Well we've only been here two days. Maybe with some sprucing it could be made a bit cozier."

"I s'pose," she said uninterested.

Applejack doesn't seem to be having fun in the slightest. An air of discomfort hangs over the two of you.

"Guess bringing you here wasn't a good idea after all," you said half-apologetically.

"Don't get me wrong Twilight. It's a real nice gesture, and awful considerate given what's goin' on. New to town and something like this happen? Talk about bad luck."

"Yeah," you agreed followed by a light chuckle.

The heavy air lightens a little. Applejack strolls over to the mirror.

"Didn't take long for Pinkie Pie to be back to her energetic self. That pony's so out there and hard to explain it's headache-inducin'. But that's part of what makes her fun to be with."

Applejack looks over herself in the mirror.

"Like this mirror rumor. It just seemed like a typical case of Pinkie's imagination runnin' wild. But hearing that you saw it for yerself as well, heh, now that's sumthin'."

She looks over at you with a questioning look.

"Before Dash showed up you said sumthin' bout there being more to what you saw. I'm right curious to what that is."

Time to give the whole story it seems.

"I'm pretty sure it was just an intense dream that followed, but after I saw Gilda in the mirror I walked up to it and put my hoof to the glass. But instead of stopping it went right through, and I could've sworn something grabbed it on the other side because I had to pull real hard to get it out."

Applejack is giving you an incredulous look.

"That does sound like some intense dreamin'," she says jokingly.

"Yeah, and now I'm pretty certain it was."

You casually walk up to Applejack before the mirror and raise a hoof.

"Let's be honest here, it'd be completely farfetched not to mention impossible for a pony to stick-"

You stop abruptly mid-sentence to let out a gasp for your hoof has phased into the mirror, and Applejack was witnessing this with bulging eyes and gaping mouth!

"What in the," she said breathlessly.

Spike walks in and approaches you.

"Could one of you talk to Pinkie? She's ransacking everything down there and I can't get her to… Hey, whatcha looking shocked for-"

Now it's the three of you staring in complete shock at your hoof being in the mirror. Spike expresses his shock in the most eloquent way possible.

"Holy Marauding Manticores of Equestria The Mirror's Eating You!"

"Whose being eaten? Is it cupcakes?"

Just then Pinkie Pie bursts in out of nowhere and bumps Spike into Applejack who stumbles into you. The force of the collision pushes you headlong into the mirror along with Spike and Applejack. In your absence Pinkie Pie looks around only to find no one.

"Where'd everypony go? I heard talking a second ago."

She ponders a few seconds then comes to a realization.

"Oh I see: They're playing hide-and-seek! Well look out cuz Pinkie Pie is the master finder to end all master finders!"

Pinkie begins bouncing around the place in search of her friends, unaware of what she has done and what has happened to you.


	5. Shadow

**Day Three, Unknown**

**Shadow**

You land after a brief period of falling, as do the other two from the painful impact and groaning sound coming from nearby. Luckily you landed on your flank and it's only moderately sore. You then notice something else, or rather the lack of something.

"Who turned out the lights?" asked Applejack, who you couldn't see at all.

"Hang on I think I can fix this."

You conjure a light spell and light radiates from your horn to create a large bubble of illumination for several yards. Some feet from you you see Applejack and Spike have gotten up and are looking around in the newfound light. There isn't much to see as darkness is spread in every direction outside the light sphere.

"What just happened?" Spike asked quickly.

"I'd like to know that myself," said Applejack. "Am I crazy or did we just fall into an ordinary household mirror?"

"It seems that way, although it wouldn't be an ordinary mirror if that's the case."

"This isn't the time for semantics Twilight; we gotta get out of here!"

Spike's urgency reflects the overall situation, but you believe a course of action is what's important for the time being.

"Calm down Spike. Getting into a panic won't make things better than they already are."

"Well things aren't so good now anyway!" Spike retorted. "Just my luck: I find you getting sucked into a mirror and BAM me and Applejack are along for the ride. What kind of place is this anyway?"

Spike looks around at the limitless darkness. No surprise Spike would be losing it in this place.

"I'd never think a mirror's insides were so dark. Like shouldn't we be in the library but everything's opposite?"

Applejack raises a good point, though a ludicrous one.

"Perhaps we're not really inside the mirror," you deduce. "Maybe it was a doorway to somewhere else… Wait what am I going on about? This whole thing is crazy!"

"See? You can't keep your cool either!" Spike accused.

"Settle down the both of yall," stepped in Applejack. "You said it yourself Twilight that we shouldn't panic, and bickering is probably as bad if not worse."

You take a moment to calm down.

"You're right. Okay, whatever this place is, we need to find an exit right away. Going back up where we came from is out of the question, so our best course of action would be to find an alternate exit somewhere down here."

"Sounds as good a plan as any Twilight," approved Applejack.

"Right, we better get moving. Just stay in the light and keep your eyes peeled."

The three of you venture forward into the parting darkness at a cautious pace. After several yards you haven't come across anything distinguishable except some bits of rock and grass.

"It's so bizarre; there isn't even a noise of some kind," Applejack pointed out. "It's unsettlin'…"

"Regardless we just have to keep looking."

Suddenly Spike straightens his head and begins sniffing.

"What's up Spike?"

"My nose suddenly picked up something. It was instantaneously."

He sniffs some more, then takes a step back.

"Something's coming this way!"

"Really? What?"

"It isn't a pony I can tell you that much."

There's a flapping of wings rapidly approaching from all directions. As you look around frantically Spike gives a shout and you turn to face an oncoming pack of winged flying shadows with comically large tongues flopping in front of them. The creatures fly and swarm around Spike and Applejack. Spike waves his arms frantically and runs in circles to ward off the things while Applejack takes a more assertive approach by bucking with her hind legs.

"What in tarnation are these things? Git offa me ya dern critters!"

While the other two are accosted by most of the creatures a few of them turn their gaze toward you and lick their nonexistent lips. As you are about to panic a pressure builds inside your head and makes it heavy. There is a throbbing and your eyesight begins to waver.

_**The Darkness is no longer wholly unknown.**_

_**You have already taken the first step toward true understanding.**_

_**Go forth, and dispel all obstacles in your path!**_

Words ring out in your head seemingly from a distance, but after hearing them your mind clears and energy begins growing and spreading outwards from your horn into your body. A startling force courses down your back and gathers as growing warmth that almost feels like fire. You look ahead to see the flapping creatures back off, and Applejack and Spike are looking at you with astonishment. Before you know it the build-up of power in your back detonates and erupts into a pillar of blue radiance that that stabilizes and takes on the form of an ephemeral unicorn sorceress. It is officially on!

Filled with new strength you face down the hoard of flying nasties and feel really pumped doing so, as though a rockin' yet easy-going battle theme was playing. You ready for battle; so long as these things are in the way you'll never be able to Reach Out to the Exit.

"Whoa… Is that really you Twilight?" Spike asked dumbfounded.

"What's goin' on now?" asked Applejack surprised.

"I have no idea, but suddenly I feel like I can take these things!"

"Watch yerself girl!" cautioned Applejack. "Those things are tricky!"

You lock your gaze onto a floating enemy and charge. You raise yourself and bring your hooves down on it. Through your newfound focus you anticipate the creature's movements and hit it dead-on. The creature bursts into a cloud of dissipating darkness and all that remains is a tiny bat which promptly flies off unscathed.

"What? You got one? I couldn't hit one," Applejack said in more surprise.

"Look out Twilight! One of them's about to attack!"

Spike's warning turns your gaze to a charging creature that stops in front of you before performing an attack, but you side-step causing the creature to lose its balance and fall flat on its back in a humiliating fashion.

"Amazing Twilight! Such fast moves!" praised Spike.

"Either of you are free to step in and help at any time; there are a whole lot of them!"

There are indeed a lot of the shadowy bat things, about twelve of them in total.

"Try using your Magic Twilight! You might be able to find a Weakness if you do!"

"How would you know?"

Spike shrugs innocently.

"A hunch I guess."

"Incoming Twilight!"

Applejack's warning came a little too late as a bat thing dive bombs you and manages to land a hit, hurting you slightly. Applejack gallops into the fray.

"Quit gangin' up on her and try me on fer size!"

Applejack starts bucking at whatever enemy was nearby but they all stay out of her reach.

"Hurry and try something Twilight!" urged Spike.

"Okay. Here goes nothing."

You close your eyes and try to think up something that could possibly be of use, and almost immediately an Option comes to mind and you choose to Select it.

**Illumni**

Thinking that command the ghostly unicorn sorceress reappears and makes a gesture that unleashes a piercing burst of light over the area. Before the light all the creatures burst into shadow particles and revert to harmless bats that like the first one promptly leave. The field of battle falls silent.

"You did it!" shouts Spike.

You felt of energy as a result of the battle. You are now Beginner Rank in combat!

Something inside you has changed. Your currently unnamed power has increased in power! Redundancy!

The battle with the creatures won you look up to see the mysterious unicorn sorceress floating and shimmering over you, looking down with an accepting look of moxy. While you are in this realm your inborn magical powers will take on the form of the Foal-sona **Morgana.** Upon accepting this subconsciously the sorceress dissolves into light that floats back into you. It is a humbling moment for you.

"Foal-sona…"

Spike and Applejack approach.

"That was incredible!" Spike lauded. "You looked cool out there Twilight!"

"What in tarnation was that thing?" Applejack asked.

"I have no idea," you reply. "It just appeared"

Just then you and the others notice that the darkness outside the light sphere has begun to decrease significantly. You now see that you're standing in the middle of a thickly-wooded forest, although the trees are still very much covered in heavy darkness and are very ominous looking.

"Everything's become visible," you point out.

"Good," said Applejack. "Now we ought to be able to find an exit and git outta here."

Spike begins sniffing again.

"What is it Spike? Are more of those things coming?" you ask.

"No," he confirmed. "It's something else; another smell that was covered up."

"Well if it ain't coming towards us then we ought not be worryin' over what it-"

"Hang on," Spike interrupted Applejack. "It's becoming distinct. Hmm. Animal fur… mixed with, chicken? It's gotten stronger! It's coming from over there!"

Spike runs off still sniffing away.

"H-hey! Don't run off!" you shout.

"Doggonit Spike!" added Applejack.

You and Applejack give chase in the darkened forest. After some time you catch up to Spike who has stopped in front of a large structure.

"Are you out of your mind Spike?" you scold him. "There's no telling what other kinds of creatures are roaming out here."

"How can you even see? You coulda ran smack into a tree," added Applejack.

"Heh, I wouldn't run into anything so obvious," Spike gloated. "My eyes are quite perceptive in this low lighting. I couldn't see anything before because it was completely dark, but as it is now it might as well be day to my awesome dragon eyes."

"Regardless Spike we should be more focused on finding a way out of this place instead of finding out what is making a stink," you reprimand.

"Well the smell is coming from in there if you're wondering," Spike says.

You take a good look up at the structure. It's a large stone building of some kind with lit torches lining up the upper parts of the walls that lead into a large square entryway. It all rather looks ornate.

"What in the heck is this?" Applejack asked, to which you reply:

"I once read a book about pony architecture, and this wasn't built by ponies. There are too many heavy blocks in place, and it's designed to look more like a cave. This seems like something made for larger beings, and given the height of this place it was built by something large and powerful, or possibly able to fly. Come to think of it, there were architecture books for other creature societies living in Equestria. But which one…"

Your thought is interrupted when the disembodied murmurings of voices emanate from within the building.

"Where'd dem voices come from?" Applejack asked. "It's like noontime at the farmer's market all a sudden."

"They don't sound like monsters," Spike said. "Maybe they can help us!"

Hesitantly you all decide to head into the building and investigate the clamor. Once through the entryway you enter a high-ceilinged main area with some stone furniture to the sides. To your confusion there's nobody around though the voices have gotten louder. Spooky.

"What? There's no one in here," said Spike.

"This is plain odd," Applejack said warily.

Just then the murmurs are muted out by a single strong but distant voice.

"What kind of griffon are you Gilda? You continue to leave your home grounds just to spend time with that Pegasus time and again. It's becoming progressively more difficult to associate you as my offspring with the way everyone else is talking about you. How much more will you fraternize with those lower hoofed creatures? When will you accept your place as a noble griffon and act as such? Now I'm beginning to see that enrolling you in that camp has become a mistake for both our sakes."

"What does he know!"

You're all startled by the appearance of a rough but familiar sounding voice.

"How'd I wind up in a place like this?" the voice continued. "Being reminded how much an embarrassment I am to my kind, it's such a drag. And having to die here as well? Complete and total bogus."

There's no mistake about it.

"That's Gilda!" you exclaim.

"How?" Applejack asked distressingly. "Ain't Gilda dead? She just said it herself."

"Wait, somebody died?" Spike asked surprised. "When?"

"It's a long story I'll tell you later," you say to him.

The disembodied voice of Gilda continues.

"I wish Dash were here at least. Maybe she'd have known a way out of here, or kept me company at least. Better then listening to my dad squawking on and on."

The voice becomes saddened.

"If only I could have spent more time with her. She was such a great friend. More than just racing with her and talking about dumb stuff I really related to her; I felt closer to her than any other griffon my age, or any griffon period. She got me, and she was always cool since those days at Speedster Camp. I could've shown her how much I appreciated her friendship if I had the chance…"

It's all very sad and moving.

"Were these Gilda's feelings?" you ask quietly. "It's so weird; she didn't strike me as the sensitive type."

"I just wish she paid me more attention instead of those other ponies."

Now the mood's become sour in her tone; so much for sensitive.

"What I should have done was tell her what a bunch of hopeless losers all her 'friends' were. I was much cooler and fun to be around, but she always insisted on being around that stupid little group even when I came to visit. Every pony in town made coming here a complete pain, completely ruining my time with Dash! But those three especially were the worst.

"That sickeningly cheery and annoying Pinkie Pie, always bugging me to be friends with her. Can't she take a hint that I don't like her? Stupid pink pony! And that whiny wimp Fluttershy, looking so coy and helpless when she's really a spineless waste of wings who never even tries to appear self-confident. Then there's that obnoxious bumpkin Applejack that Dash really likes to be with. What does she even see in her more than in me? That overbearing apple-loving hick should have stayed on the farm with the rest of her hick family and never show her stupid face!"

"Well I never!" Applejack shouted outraged. "I don't care if you are dead or disembodied! No one talks that way 'bout my family period without gettin' a well-deserved piece of my mind and hoof!"

"_Ha! Yer one to talk."_

You shudder at the presence of yet another voice, only this one came from the other end of the room. Looking over there you see to your shock that it was Applejack, except this one had piercing yellow eyes and a dark aura rising out of her.

"Two Applejacks!" Spike exclaimed in disbelief and surprise.

The doppelganger struts over to the group with a sinister sneer.

"_Seems that way don't it sugar plum? Although I'm clearly the better one."_

The Applejack nearest you looks especially dumbfounded.

"Just who are you?" Applejack asked rather shook up.

"_A wake up call's what I am."_

The other Applejack stops in front of Applejack.

"_Gilda was an insufferable bird-brain but she makes a point. You are a simple farm pony living out in a small town, and it irritates ya to no end."_

"W-what are ya sayin'?" Applejack asked.

"_You know exactly what I'm sayin'. You want to break outta the farm and see the world, blaze some trails, rise above the life of a mere hick."_

"T-that ain't true!" Applejack denied. "I tried living a sophisticated life in the big city when I was little, and it didn't suit me at all."

"_Of course not; high society wasn't meant for ya. But you never really wanted to stay put in Sweet Apple Acres forever neither."_

Applejack is speechless.

"_Livin' on the farm, doin' the same old routine, seein' the same faces and places. It's all so naggin' borin'! Instead of harvesting apples year after year you could be out on the frontier with cousin Braeburn tamin' the wild west and settlin' the unknown. Deep down you always knew you were meant for greater things then maintainin' some rustic apple orchard."_

"N-no, that ain't what I think at all."

Applejack sounds unconvinced in the face of her seemingly evil clone.

"_I know all this for a fact cuz I hail from within. I also know for a fact the misery you experience from being burdened with a deadweight family each and every day who only suck away your ambition like so much poison!"_

What a shocking statement!

"_That's right; as if being stuck on a farm wasn't bad enough you have your boring as mud kin to make it all the worse! Big Macintosh is sooo content with gathering moss it's sickenin', and it's a rotten wonder Granny Smith hasn't kicked the bucket yet. Then there's Apple Bloom-"_

"Don't you talk about her you fake!" Applejack warned fiercely but in futility.

"_That filly can never stand on her own or be a quiet helpful sister, always gettin' into trouble or demanding attention, NEVER ONCE leaving you alone for more than five minutes whenever yer at home. That soul crusher really should go away forever. In fact, you often wish she'd walk out into the middle of a busy street and get trampled. At least then she'd finally shut up and you'd never have to put up with her manure ever again. In fact, you wish all Sweet Apple Acres would get sucked into the earth taking the other two with it so you can finally free yourself and become the wild pony you were born to be!"_

Applejack is shaking her head.

"I'd never think those kinds of awful things! Yer flat out heinous and evil whoever ya are!"

The shadowy Applejack gives a derisive chuckle.

"_Whoever I am? You still don't know? Haha, the simple life has made you dumb as well as domesticated. Well let me say it loud and clear for ya: I AM YOU! Always have, and always will."_

Applejack is shaking her head violently.

"You darn awful hateful liar! None of that is true; none of it is what I'm like! None of it! YOU'RE NOT ME, YA HEAR!"

The other Applejack gives a more serious look as she begins to darken and the aura rising from her becomes more energetic and outflows more rapidly.

"_Still hopelessly stubborn as always. But it don't matter; I'm done with you anyhow. I'm my own self now, and I'm BREAKIN' out of this simple life AT LAST!"_

Darkness explodes out of the other Applejack and envelops her. Shadows from outside the building rush in and congregate around the thick cloud making it look more menacing. As something takes shape within the cloud a stunned Applejack faints and collapses to the ground.

"Applejack!"

Before you can do anything else the cloud disperses and rising up before you and Spike is a great behemoth that was a massive apple with four short thick legs similar to an elephant as well as eyes and a huge mouth filled with razor teeth. Riding atop the monstrosity is the other Applejack on a huge saddle wearing a western outfit and holding the reins of the beast. She looks rather intent on trampling you.

"_I am a shadow… The true self… The whole world is callin' fer me and you're the only ones standin' in my way. Once I've crushed the two of you I will finally be able to stretch my legs and live!"_

"This is bad; that thing looks like it means business!" said Spike from the sidelines. "But I'll provide support like I did before so don't worry."

"Something more than that would be highly appreciated," you say.

The apple beast lifts up its front legs and brings them down to try to crush you. You backstep to avoid the attack but the impact of its feet hitting the ground shake you onto your rump. The shadow Applejack laughs.

"_Ain't you a sorry fighter? Can't even handle a little tremor!"_

"You've got to fight back Twilight!" Spike urged.

"I'm just about to do that, sheesh!"

You try to think of how to fight the behemoth. No way your little hooves can put a dent in it. If there was a way to stab it though… Suddenly you get an idea.

**Skewer**

Your Foal-sona appears holding a staff, which it uses to wind up and deliver a forceful jab into the monster apple. The blow connects but it didn't seem to do much damage.

"That's some really thick skin," you note.

"_Of course it is! This fine beaut was grown from the most concentrated Dissatisfaction around. Ain't nothing gonna pierce its glossy surface! Yee-haw!"_

With that cry the shadow Applejack rears up the apple mount as though preparing it for a charge.

"That thing looks like it's going to attack!" Spike shouted. "Defend yourself!"

Though you have no idea how to defend against something that huge you choose the Option and brace yourself. Beast and rider launch their attack.

**Calamitous Rodeo**

The apple beast roars and starts bucking wildly around shaking up the entire building. But being prepared you absorb the blow and only take minimal damage miraculously enough.

"You need another strategy Twilight, before it goes berserk again," advised Spike.

"It has a strong outer defense Spike; what else is there to do?" you fret.

"_You got lucky that time sugar cube. But I won't let you hold me back any longer. I WILL be free from this life one way or another, dagnabbit!"_

The evil Applejack sounds deadly serious this time. With no other discernible Options you decide to go with one you used previously to see what it can do.

**Illumni**

Your Foal-sona fires off a great flash of light and to your surprise the giant apple beast rears up violently and roars wildly, apparently from having gone blind.

"_Whoa easy nelly! Settle down now. I said settle down!"_

Despite her commands and attempts to control the beast the shadow Applejack is thrown off the huge saddle and lands hard on the ground behind it. The apple behemoth continues to wail over its blindness and raises itself more but in doing so it rears back to the point of losing its balance on its hind-legs and starts falling backwards. Shadow Applejack sees her falling pet and gives off a horrified yell before getting crushed, the both of them exploding into black vapor as a result. The battlefield grows quiet.

You felt a surge of energy from the recent battle. You are now Apt Rank in combat!

Something inside of you has changed. **Morgana** has grown in power and has learned the ability **Weaken**!

The fight over you and Spike hurry over to Applejack who has just regained consciousness.

"Applejack!" you call.

"Ugh. I'm alright," she assured weakly. "Don't know what came over me."

Applejack gets back on her hooves and looks ahead. Nearby her shadow self had resumed its original form and is looking at her silently with judging eyes.

"Why're you still here? Go on, git! Nopony wants you around."

The shadow version begins to radiate dark energy upon hearing Applejack's dismissing words.

"Don't tell me it wants to go at it again," Spike bemoaned.

"Applejack," you say. "Whatever that thing is, it attacked us because you wouldn't listen to what it was saying. Denying it further only seems to make it stronger."

"Then how do we make it go away," she asked tiredly.

"It may sound crazy, but maybe you have to accept the things it's saying, otherwise it might transform again."

"But, if I do that, then I, I,"

Applejack seems hesitant in acknowledging the shadow. You should say something.

**"There's more to you than that."**

"If that thing really is your feelings deep down, it won't change my opinion of you. You're still the friendly considerate pony I met when I came to this town, and admitting to having dark feelings won't change that impression I have of you. Especially not after seeing how quick you are to helping those in trouble."

Applejack is silent for a moment.

"I still seem considerate, even after all ya heard?"

You nod your head. Applejack looks away embarrassed but then looks to her shadow self.

"It ain't easy ownin' up to yerself…"

Applejack strolls over to her shadow self and looks at it with melancholic eyes. If there was a poignantly sad yet uplifting jazz song made for facing oneself, you're pretty sure it'd be playing right now (*hint hint*).

"It's true what she said, all of it. Since I was a young'un I had high hopes of making sumthin' of myself, to see the world beyond Sweet Apple Acres. After I tried city life for a while I figured that settled it. But, even after coming back home to my lovin' family I wasn't satisfied. I still had this lingerin' want to do something worthwhile, and that lingerin' just grew more and more little by little over the years as I stayed in the same place doin' the same things. It ate away at me, this growing fear that my ambition and grit was wasting away from farm work and stayin' with the family. And that fear soon became bitterness."

She looks at you.

"Don't git me wrong: I love my sister dearly. As do I Big Macintosh and Granny Smith. It's just sometimes being with them gets old, and playing with Apple Bloom has lately felt more like busy work then actual fun. I ignored those thoughts though cuz what could I do about it? They needed me and I was more than willin' to do my part for the farm, day after day."

She turns back to her shadow.

"All this time I been keepin' these unfulfilled desires to myself cuz I figured it would've been selfish of me to say that I wanted more than the happy life I already have. But I now see that I've got to be Honest with myself as well to be truly happy. I have to admit that I'm not entirely satisfied with how my life's been goin'. I'll stay at the farm like always for my family's sake, but I'm also goin' to find somethin' to give my life more meanin'. Yer me, and I've hid you from the world long enough."

The shadow nods in acceptance.

The strength of heart to face oneself has been made manifest…

The shadow disappears to form into an ephemeral pony wearing overalls and a pot on its head.

Applejack has faced her other self. She has obtained the façade used to overcome life's hardships, the Foal-sona **Jenny Appleseed.**

The being dissolves into blue light and becomes absorbed by Applejack, who then promptly falls to her knees. You and Spike go to her side.

"I'm okay, just really worn out all a sudden."

"We have to get you out of here," you say.

"But we still haven't found an exit. This place is a dead end," Spike said worriedly.

Suddenly you and he spot something floating down from the top of the room. It lowers down to your level and is revealed to be an ordinary-looking mirror large enough to step through.

"How's that fer a dead end," Applejack remarked.

Spike goes over and investigates the mirror.

"I can see the library! This must be the way out!"

"Suspiciously convenient for it to appear like that," you say.

"Suspicious or not it seems like our only option," Applejack said. "Let's just git outta here already."

You nod and help Applejack on her feet. Supporting her you take her over to the mirror where the three of you then enter.

You, Applejack and Spike step out into the library to your vast relief. Snoozing on the floor in front of you is Pinkie Pie who then wakes up almost immediately after you three leave the mirror.

"Huh? Oh there you guys are! Boy you're really good hiders."

"What are you talking about?" you ask.

"Hide-and-seek silly," she answered matter-of-factly. "Normally I'm really good at this game but I couldn't find any of you at all, and I checked everywhere twice, even the outside. I just kept looking and looking and next thing you know I'm all tuckered out and taking a nap. So that makes you guys the winner!"

She thinks you were playing hide-and-seek this whole time? You decide that it's best you let her believe that for the time being as explaining what really happened might make you look crazy, even to her.

"Uh, yeah, you know it," you say. "Better luck next time, Pinkie Pie."

"Oh there's definitely going to be a next time!" she said enthusiastically. "But not now. It's gotten pretty late and I really should be heading home. Thanks for showing us your place Twilight, and maybe see you guys tomorrow!"

She leaves without another word. You're rather grateful at her abrupt departure. Looking outside you see that it has become dark. Just how long had you been wandering around in the mirror?

"I oughta head home myself as well," Applejack said as she left your shoulder to stand on her own hooves.

"You sure you can move on your own Applejack?" Spike asked.

"Yep; a little stroll back to the farm ain't nothin'," she assured.

"You're welcome to stay here for the night; you did go through a pretty stressful moment," you offer.

"Thanks a bunch Twilight, but I really want to be back with my family," Applejack said with resolution. "Maybe I'll just hop into bed the minute I get back."

She gives a yawn.

"I got a feelin' that it's gonna be a good night's sleep. See you around Twilight, Spike."

"Take care Applejack," you say.

"See ya," said Spike.

You watch Applejack walk out of the house, and you find yourself alone with Spike for the first time since early afternoon.

"Boy this has been a crazy day," Spike said. "So much crazy I would have a hard time trying to remember it all. I'm going to sleep instead."

You feel as though you experienced something truly profound today. Not just in what you saw in the mirror, but in pertaining to your assignment. Also, you remember that you haven't sent Princess Celestia word of your safe arrival to town yet.

"Wait Spike. Before you go to bed I want you to take a note."

"What kind of note?" he asked tiredly.

"A letter to the princess."

"Right now? Don't you think it's kind of late to be sending her a letter?"

"It's important Spike. I forget to tell her that we got here safe, plus there's something else I'd want to mention in detail."

Spike sighs and fetches a scroll and quill. You clear your throat and dictate the letter:

_Dear Princess Celestia,_

_First I wish to apologize for the delay of this letter denoting my safe arrival to Ponyville. In the past few days I have been busy surveying the surroundings as well as meeting several interesting residents. You'll be happy to know that I've made acquaintances with a group of these ponies and thus far they have been most generous and welcoming to me and Spike._

_Recently though I uncovered something that may provide understanding in my investigation of friendship. Today I saw a pony face her innermost feelings, and even though they were unpleasant and harsh she eventually accepted them as being her own. She originally believed that her inner feelings were selfish and would make her seem inconsiderate and unlikable, but after hearing them I assured her that my first impression of her as a kindly pony wouldn't change and from there she gained the courage to be honest with herself._

_I learned that ponies can have strong feelings hidden away; that a hardworking friendly pony can feel unsatisfied and bitter deep down. But I also learned firsthand the strength that Honesty can give to a pony in doubt. Though at times the truth may seem hurtful holding it in for too long ends up hurting yourself, and so long as you have others who will accept you for whatever faults you have then Honesty can bring better understanding of yourself and bring you closer to the ones who care for you the most._

_As the saying goes, "The truth will set you free," and after today I'm pretty sure one pony is facing life unhindered for the first time in a long while._

_Your Faithful Student,_

_Twilight Sparkle_

The letter written and sent, you and Spike finally call it a day.

**Author's Note****: Talk about intense! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I hope you guys had fun reading it. Give comments and critiques whenever you can, be it in reviews or PMs (it should be working now). The next chapter or so shouldn't be nearly as long as this one, so stay tuned!**


	6. A Touch of Velvet

**Day Three, Night**

**A Touch of Velvet**

You feel cool air wafting around you as you begin to open your eyes.

"It appears that our special guest has arrived sound in soul. Surely she is no ordinary foal."

As the haze begins to fade you realize you're in completely new surroundings. It's a room of some kind bathed in a light and relaxing blue, with a coffee table and some assorted furniture around it. Across from you and the coffee table sitting in a simple loveseat is a zebra with a striking Mohawk and wearing a number of gold rings on her legs.

"What the..?"

"I welcome you dear to this humble abode," said the zebra. "Please have a seat, lighten your load."

"What's going on? Who are you?"

"Do not fret, for there is no impending doom, as you have simply been summoned to the Velvet Room."

You then notice the light brown-haired pony sitting on the couch near the zebra, who had a mane of dark brown and was wearing a spiffy brown and stripe suit jacket.

"Don't look at me, I'm simply loaning her this room. She's the one at fault for the decor."

The pony had a distinct whimsical accent that hinted at mischief but also great intelligence. Just who are these two? And also weren't you sleeping at home a moment ago?

"Where am I? Did you abduct me?"

The zebra chuckles.

"We've done no such thing my dear; I can assure you there is nothing to fear. In truth you are still asleep in your bed, and what you are seeing is mainly in your head."

"Huh?"

"It's really not that simple actually," said the suited pony. "We're using a machine to transfer your consciousness directly to us, so in effect you're appearing before us as a hologram."

"A holo-what?"

"Yes it is all very complicated but just go with it," he said. "And before you ask about my accent there is a North on other planets so it's not that surprising in the grand scale of things."

You are utterly confused. What does he mean by North? Wait that's not the sort of question you want to ask!

"What is all this about anyway?"

The suited pony shrugs toward the zebra.

"You may want to talk to her about that, since it's mostly her idea."

The zebra speaks again.

"My name is Zecora, a seer of fate. And yours, Twilight Sparkle, has become open on this date."

"How do you know my name?"

"You really do ask a lot of questions; don't you ever find it bothersome?" the suited colt asked all snarky.

"We've been watching you since you entered the realm of darkness," the zebra resumes. "And were quite taken by your unwavering show of prowess. You have awoken to a very strong power in the midst of you darkest hour, and this power that can render the darkness tame Foal-sona be its name."

"Ooookay…"

This is all still rather confusing.

"Foal-sona in truth is an extension of one's self that serves to defend for the good of one's health. It was awakened some time ago by an unknown hand, but it came into form when you entered the shadow land. It is a gift most special indeed as it has undoubtedly aided those in need, such as your friend who yearned to take flight. You should be proud, for you saved her life this night."

"How do you know all this? Were you there watching everything?"

"We weren't physically there," spoke up the accented pony. "There are machines on this craft I had installed a good while ago that can track intelligent lifeforms and I had set them up to observe whatever tripped the sensors I had set up around the shadow realm; I even went through the trouble of having it include a decent video feed. A bit off subject but I want to clarify that the shadow realm isn't its own separate dimension from the rest of the world."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The place you stepped into is actually a sealed-off section of Equestria," he explains. "You don't need to know all the details for now except that you and some others are the only ones who can enter these sections thanks to your 'Foal-sonas' as she calls them, which to me would've sounded incredibly rubbish if I didn't just see it for myself."

"It is a mystery how your Foal-sona came to be," resumes Zacora. "But your obtaining of it is nothing short of destiny. It will serve as protector as well as guide as the twisting path of fate takes you for a ride."

"What is this shadow realm then, and why do you know so much about it? Also what's your story?" you ask the suited pony.

"Me? I'm just the Doctor," the colt said plainly. "A traveler of sorts helping out his generous host for the time being. Um, you were about to say something Zacora?"

"The place of shadow feeds off the emotions kept inside and reduces a pony to a lifeless hide. A death both painful and lonely, but like today you can prevent further tragedy."

"So if I get this right, the shadow that came out of Applejack would have killed her eventually. And what you said about lifeless hides…" you contemplate. "Could that be what had happened to Gilda?"

"Quite the deduction young miss," praises the 'Doctor' with a condescending but ever whimsical tone. "It's refreshing to see that you're capable of actual self-deduction rather than relying solely on constant questioning."

Despite the interesting voice and spiffy fashion you find the colt pretty rude, as though he knew he was better than you.

"All your questions will be answered in good time," said Zacora. "But you have been through much, and I can see you grow weary of my rhyme."

She chuckles.

"But before you depart I implore that you take my next words to heart. The road ahead is paved with uncertainty for it delves into a world of mixed reality. There is something that will greatly help and in turn provide you insight in the thing you originally came here to learn."

You raise an eyebrow. Your interest is piqued.

"There is a bond that can save a pony from the brink: One forged through friendship, a Social Link. As you form ties to ponies you meet everyday your Foal-sona will grow as unfamiliarity decays. As you have been sent to learn of friendship, then it would benefit you to gain Social Links through meaningful relationships. It is very win-win, no more can be said. And making friends is surely better then living life in dread."

"The short of it Ms. Sparkle: Make some friends," spoke the suited pony. "It'll help you immensely in the long run."

Oh.

"Your quest has only just begun, but I have high hopes for you. Until the next time we speak, we bid you ado."

"Yes ados all around," the 'Doctor' added as he tinkered with something in his hoof. "Now go on and get some sleep like a good girl."

"But wait," you protest. "Can't you explain things just a little-"

You begin to lose consciousness and your vision fades to black along with the strange zebra and her equally strange companion.

**Meanwhile, at a less mysterious location…**

The crime scene had been quiet for many hours. The night air was cooler than usual, and though the fog of the day had long dissipated the fog of intrigue surrounding the murder at hand refused to budge. Detective Gumhoof stood on the outer perimeter of the investigation site to clear his head and grab a smoke. Beneath the lone street lamp that was left on for the investigation his thick shadow served as his only company, and the light drizzle that started minutes ago was the lounge music.

"It just doesn't make any sense," he grumbles gruffly to himself. "There hasn't been a murder in years, and those are usually accidents. But the way this was setup doesn't exactly scream accident down in my gullet. I've scanned this area for hours and there isn't the smallest thing that stands out or fits with the murder. This whole thing stinks, and the weather seems to agree."

Just then a fluttering pest came and interrupted his monologue.

"Good thing you have me around to clear the clouds over the crime scene," brags Derpy.

"Oh yes Derpy, excellent work in handling the menial cloud-moving. Why in light of this stellar performance I just might forget the superb job you did dragging the stiff all the way to the school house."

The sarcasm in Gumhoof's words was thick enough to craft a workbench out of.

"There's a good explanation for that honest," Derpy pleads. "I forgot where the station was and I couldn't leave the body out longer than it had to so I took it to a very inconspicuous, large and empty building for temporary storage."

"Except that building wasn't empty but full of SMALL CHILDREN."

"Then they shouldn't have been holding classes in the afternoon then," she said blamelessly.

Gumhoof gives a suppressed sigh of anger.

"I swear if there wasn't a lack of horsepower and you weren't special needs I'd take you off this case right now."

"For you information I volunteered to help out the town however I can," Derpy said. "Also I'm not special needs; I'm just distracted by my wall-eye. WOOOoooooh WOOOooooooh WOOOOoooooh-"

Derpy flutters off "woohing" over the sights her awkward vision provided. Left in the company of himself once more the hard-boiled pony detective reenters his self-engaging monologue.

"None of it makes sense. There wasn't a sign of a struggle, no blunt trauma, no apparent poisoning, and there weren't even scrapes of her on the roof. Aside from lacking life the griffon was in relatively good shape. Perhaps what caused the death is a more critical question then who did it and why…"

Gumhoof steps toward the edge of the light and looks out over the darkened town.

"Something sinister has come to this simple town," he monologues. "I get this feeling that more bad tidings will come as long as this mystery remains unsolved. Unless we get a lead and end this case soon, the griffon may not be the only one who winds up…"

He pulls out a pipe for dramatic pause.

"Plucked."

_**YEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHH!**_

"Derpy, for what forsaken reason did you have for yelling that?"

"I dunno; I just had this urge to do it suddenly. Also smoking's bad," Derpy said while innocently rubbing a hoof at the ground.

Gumhoof merely shook his head.

"This going to be a loooong case…" he said in dull anguish.


	7. The First Link

**Day Four, Cloudy**

**The First Link**

You are awoken by a knocking at the door. Though your mind is hazy you're flushed with relief to find yourself in your own bed and not some crazy shadow world or weirdo-occupied rooms. The knocking downstairs isn't stopping so you decide to get up and answer it. You make it to the door despite being half-asleep and open it to find Pinkie Pie staring into your eyes with a big smile which would've made you jump out of your skin if you weren't still exhausted.

"Gooood morning Twilight!" she addressed you energetically.

"Pinkie Pie?" you ask groggily.

"Hey listen: Fluttershy came to me and said she was able to find and talk to Rainbow Dash."

"Really? That's good news," you said with a tired but thankful tone.

"Yup! She wants to meet up at Clover Café to give us the story and I'm going to Applejack's to tell her the same so get over there on the double!"

"Sure Pinkie, I just need to get ready real quick."

"Super! See you there then, and don't be late!"

Pinkie bounces off to alert Applejack of the news. It seems Fluttershy was able to talk to Rainbow Dash about yesterday's incident. You wonder how it went between the two, and decide get ready to head out.

"Hey Spike. Are you awake?"

There's some grumbling.

"Yeah, I am now," Spike said annoyed.

"Want to come into town with me for breakfast?"

"No thanks. You could bring me back some though."

"I'll think about it Spike."

You freshen up quickly and head for the door.

"See you later."

"Wait a moment!"

You turn around to see that Spike is sitting up in his basket and looking down at you.

"When you get back could you tell me about the person who died recently? I sorta feel left out not knowing serious news like that."

"Certainly Spike. I shouldn't be long."

You have agreed to tell Spike the details about Gilda's death at a later time. For now you must head over to Clover Café to meet the others and learn more about Rainbow Dash's well-being.

**Time Passes. It's late morning, and you arrive at Clover Café.**

You walk among the tables outside the café and almost immediately spot Fluttershy sitting by herself at one of them.

"Oh! Good morning Twilight," she greets kindly.

"Morning Fluttershy. I guess the others haven't shown up yet."

"No, not yet, but we can talk about other things while we wait."

"Yeah we could. You know, I was half-expecting to see Rainbow Dash here as well but that would be expecting too much too soon huh?"

"Yeah… She's fine though, Rainbow Dash I mean. But I would like to wait until the others arrive to go into detail so I won't have to repeat myself," Fluttershy reasoned politely.

"I understand" you nod.

You look around and notice how quiet things are compared to the other times you've come here. Perhaps the townsfoal are still on edge from yesterday's incident and not feeling very social. Best keep talking to keep your mind off that.

"You know it was very nice of Pinkie Pie and you to invite me here. I barely know you guys so something like this may not have been any of my business to know."

"Maybe not, but since you were there when it happened I thought that you might have wanted to know what happened afterwards regardless. Plus, you seemed like the kind of pony who'd care to know how others are doing even if you barely know them."

"That's awfully thoughtful of you to say that, Fluttershy."

That was remarkably touching you had to admit. Too bad you don't have a **relationship **that could make it more meaningful. Oh look, here comes Pinkie Pie and Applejack. You see Applejack is well-rested and appears to be her usual self to your relief. Anyway, the meet-up.

"Hey ya Fluttershy, Twilight," addressed Applejack.

"We're here!" said Pinkie.

"Morning Applejack," Fluttershy replied. "Now that everyone's here then you'll want to hear about Rainbow Dash."

"Of course sugar cube," affirmed Applejack. "How is she?"

Fluttershy begins her account of her talk with Rainbow Dash.

"After she took off it took me a while to find her in all the fog, but as it turned out she went straight to her house. When I eventually got there she said she didn't want to talk so I waited on the doorstep for a while."

"You just waited there, outside?" Applejack asked.

"Only for a few minutes, just to let her calm down," Fluttershy resumed. "Afterwards she let me come in and I talked with her. She still seemed a bit upset but she told me that she was okay, and that she just needed some time to herself."

"So the long and short of it is she's fine?" Applejack surmised.

"Right," confirmed Fluttershy. "She seemed a bit weary but that's understandable after what happened to Gilda. It's probably also why she never brought her up when we were talking… For right now though I think she wants to be left alone."

"So we can't say hi to her or anything like that?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Not today Pinkie," said Fluttershy. "But we could check on her tomorrow and see if she's feeling better."

"That sounds like a good idea Fluttershy," said Applejack. "We should all pay her a visit tomorrow."

"Um, actually, maybe not with this many-"

"Of course we'll come check on her!" Pinkie Pie interrupted Fluttershy. "All four of us, right Twilight?"

"Definitely," you agree.

"You could also bring Spike along, that way it'll be a party of five that checks on Dash!" Pinkie said excitedly. "Anyway I'm starving from all the bouncing how bout we order breakfast?"

"Sure, I was hoping to get some here anyway," you tell her.

"I guess I could stay a bit longer," Fluttershy said sheepishly.

"Great! Waiter!" Pinkie shouted whilst waving.

A posh stallion waiter comes at Pinkie Pie's exuberant beckoning.

"Yes miss?"

"Bring breakfast for me and my friends!"

"What would you like then?"

"Ummm, something breakfast-y!"

"Perhaps you could be more specific."

"What's not specific about 'breakfasty-y?'?"

"Oh Pinkie Pie," Applejack said with an amused sigh.

You share breakfast with the group amidst small talk.

**Time Passes. Your breakfast discussion has carried into the early afternoon.**

You are standing with the others outside the café having finished breakfast a while ago. You are all about to separate for the day.

"Then it's settled," said Pinkie Pie. "Tomorrow afternoon we all meet up at Fluttershy's house and then head over to Rainbow Dash's."

"Actually, I've been meaning to tell you that I don't know where Fluttershy's house is," you say.

"I'll come by your place tomorrow and walk ya there," Applejack readily volunteered.

"You would? If it's no trouble then I would appreciate that."

"No trouble at all," Applejack assured. "And you've been here long enough; there's no need to be so uptight polite around us."

You laugh a little and nod your head.

"Until tomorrow then," said Pinkie Pie. "And bring your best cheering-up faces for Dash! WHEEE!"

Pinkie hops away.

"See you girls later," said Fluttershy.

The three of you walk from the café. To your pleasant surprise Applejack is heading the same way you are and is walking beside you too.

"Hey Twilight? Got a minute?" she asks you. "There's sumthin' I wanna tell you, and I was waitin' for it being just the two of us."

"Sure Applejack, what's up?"

"I just wanted to tell you thanks, for what you done did yesterday. Fighting off them monsters, and protectin' me when I was down all by yerself. It was mighty courageous and selfless of you, that I'm sorry I couldn't have been any more help to ya."

"Don't worry about it Applejack," you assure her. "It's all well behind us and we made it out safe and sound."

"I know that, but even so, it was sumthin' else."

Applejack pauses a moment.

"Not just the monsters, but hearing Gilda's ghost or sumthin' speak her mind and hearing what that other me said and accepting it made it seem all unreal. Heck, I coulda passed it off as a crazy dream. But I'm glad it wasn't a dream, cuz now I see myself in a whole new light. And how you said you'd still think of me kindly after all you heard just makes me gladder that it really happened."

"Applejack…"

"Yer encouragement made it possible for me to swallow what my inner self said," she continued. "If it weren't for you I might've still been denyin' and wound up dead. You really are a right nice pony Twilight, which is why I'm happy to call you my friend."

"Oh Applejack."

"Eh, that sounded pretty schmaltzy huh? Then forgit I said it like that!"

"Hee hee, it's okay Applejack. I get the picture, and I'm glad you think of me as a friend."

"So yer okay with that? Being friends?"

"Absolutely. You're an interesting pony to be around."

"Well shucks, Twilight. Yer makin' me blush."

"Is that really something to be blushing over?"

Despite Applejack's awkwardness you're touched by her open honesty. You begin to feel a faint bond forming between you and her… Just then light flashes briefly in your head and a distant uttering of words can be heard.

**I am Thou… Thou art me…**

**Thou hast established a new bond…**

**It helps thy battle against the encroaching Darkness…**

**Thou shalt be blessed with the powers of the Honesty Arcana…**

A warmth fills you as does a refreshing dose of power. You and Applejack are officially friends. You have established the **Applejack **Social Link of the **Honesty** Arcana! When faced with obstacles that challenge your **Honesty** you gain a supporting boost of confidence!

Applejack's determination in battle has increased! Applejack will now DIE FOR YOU.

"What!"

Okay it's really not that dramatic. She'll just sustain a blow for you that would otherwise prove very severe whenever you're in battle.

"But, wouldn't it be severe to her? And what's this about 'whenever we're in battle?'"

Just roll with it okay. Now stop asking questions; you're derailing the narrative enough as it is!

"Uh, Twilight? You look like you got sumthin' on yer mind."

"Huh? Oh, nothing; just a random thought went through my head." 

"Oh, alright. Well I'll be headin' home to do some chores. Be at yer house tomorrow so I can pick you up."

"Of course Applejack. See you later."

Applejack leaves, but you stay behind and contemplate what had just occurred. You begin to recall what Zacora told you regarding Social Links, but you choose not to mentally recite her words as that would be a needless waste of time and an insult to the memory capacity of whoever might be involved. Anyway, you apparently established one of these Social Links, which you've been told are the key to understanding friendship as well as gaining it. You're rather comforted by this thought, and your inner **Snugliness **increases.

Indeed, it seems the mysterious and entrancing world of friendship has finally opened up to you. But your profound thought is disrupted by the emergence of one concerning a more immediate subject.

"Shoot! I forgot to pick up some breakfast for Spike, though it'd actually be lunch at this point."

You turn around and head back to the café to pick up something for Spike.

**Time Passes. You make it back home without further incident.**

You enter the library with Spike's late lunch balanced on your back.

"Spike, I'm home!"

"It's about time."

Spike walks up to you looking a little peeved.

"I had to keep sleeping so I wouldn't need to think about food."

"Sorry I came home later than anticipated," you apologized. "We all talked for a bit and I lost track of time, and maaaybe forgot about picking up your breakfast, er, lunch as it were."

"Hmph. Well, as long as you didn't forget the other thing you were gonna do for me today."

"Of course: The thing regarding Gilda. Wait, you want to hear about it now?"

"Uh yeah!" he said adamantly. "A citizen of Equestria dying suddenly is need-to-know stuff for someone like me. I can eat my brunch while you dish out the details."

"Okay, if you insist."

You spend the next several minutes telling a feasting Spike everything about Gilda, such as how she was found and that she was friends with Rainbow Dash. You also mention the plan to go check on her tomorrow.

"Interesting," Spike said once you finished. "So the one we heard yesterday in the mirror was supposed to be dead. Pretty weird stuff, but then again what wasn't weird in that place? Shame about how shook up Rainbow Dash was over her passing, though. If I lost you suddenly like that Twilight I'd be completely devastated."

"You're welcome to join us in checking on her tomorrow," you offer. "I know Fluttershy at least would be delighted by your presence."

"Hmm. That seems more like a pony thing when I think about it," Spike deliberated. "I wouldn't know the right things to say, and you're more the sensitive type then me anyway. Besides, I could try walking around Ponyville by myself for a change and learn the layout. Who knows what things I can find just for me out there."

"Sounds fine to me Spike," you approve.

"So what are you gonna do for the rest of today Twilight?" he asks.

"I hadn't really thought of that," you admit honestly. "I might just stay in for the rest of the day, maybe do some studying. I haven't done nearly as much of it as I thought I would since we got here."

"But you've been doing a lot of other things instead, so that's probably a good sign," Spike said encouragingly, to which you give a grin.

"Yeah, I think you may be right."

You spend the afternoon studying the various books of the library in peace. Your already impressive **Knowledge **remains as intact as ever. It has gotten late. You decide to go to bed early in preparation for tomorrow's plan. You bid Spike goodnight and hit the hay.

**Author's Note:**** And so we the world of Social Links. As it stands this one will develop along with the story, but like in Persona 4 it could be explored further to flesh out the relationship and show us a deeper friendship being forged. Let me know if you're interested in seeing it more, that way I can write up some solely Social Link-based chapters in-between the main story chapters. And when more Social Links arise I can do the same with them as well ;)**


	8. The Pony in Black

**Day Five, Sunny**

**The Pony in Black**

It is early afternoon. You and Applejack have been walking to Fluttershy's house on the outskirts of town for some time and have finally arrived. It is a very pleasant-looking two-storey cottage with a chicken coop beside it as well as a high concentration of birds and woodland creatures running and flying about the premises. In the near distance is a heavily-wooded forest whose trees look very different from the ones you've seen around town. Standing in front of the house are Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, who as always has a smile on her face at seeing you.

"Alright the gang's all here!" she announced. "Wait, where's Spike?"

"I invited him to join but he declined," you tell her. "Said he'd like to take this opportunity to see more of the town for himself."

"That's too bad," Fluttershy said disappointed. "At least he's getting exercise."

"Okay you ponies ready to do this?" rallied Pinkie. "It's time to commence Operation: Pay Rainbow Dash An Amazing Visit! Ye-hoo!"

She is really pumped for this…

"Dash's home is not far from here, Twilight," spoke Fluttershy. "It'll only be a few minutes."

"I hear ya," you nod in agreement.

Without further delay you and the others head for Rainbow Dash's house.

**Time Passes. You all make it to Rainbow Dash's home without incident.**

The sun shines down as you and the girls make it to an empty patch of land. You see nothing of interest at first, but a glance upward and your eyes catch a puffy cloud house floating several meters in the air. Though you've read about Pegasus dwellings and seen pictures you can't help but be fascinated at seeing one up close; what's more you're impressed by the pools of rainbows around the house that act like ponds to enhance the aesthetics. It's all very pristine, unlike the demeanor of its resident.

Fluttershy stops close to beneath the cloud house and you all do the same.

"I'll go check first," Fluttershy said.

Flapping her wings Fluttershy rises from the ground and heads up to the "porch" of the cloud house. From where you all are you can see the front door clearly, as well as Fluttershy walking up to it and knocking on it. Funny, you wouldn't have expected cloud doors to be thick enough for knocking. But then again you're talking a house made entirely of clouds so… Yeah, you'll leave it there you decide.

"Rainbow Dash?" timidly asked Fluttershy to the door. "Are you awake? Are you there?"

There is a silence, but then you see the cloud door open and the familiar unkempt rainbow-maned head of Rainbow Dash stick out.

"What do you want Fluttershy?" she asked brusquely.

"Um, hi Dash," said Fluttershy. "We just came over to check on you."

"We?"

"Yes. They all insisted on coming by," Fluttershy said, shaking her head in your direction. "I hope you don't mind me bringing them."

Fluttershy stands around nervously as a pause befell them.

"It's okay I guess," Dash said resignedly. "Have them come on in."

"Um, they can't because, you know, they're earth ponies so…"

Rainbow Dash sighs.

"Fiine," she huffed before stepping out of her house.

The two pegasi flutter down to the rest of you. Dash is looking away in a moody uncomfortable fashion.

"Here is everyone, like I said," Fluttershy said to Dash, who didn't turn to acknowledge what she said.

You begin to feel uncomfortable.

"How ya hangin' in there darlin'?" asked Applejack.

"I'm not cuz there's nothing to be hung up over!" Dash said angrily.

Applejack looks upset by this. Seeing the hurtful effects of her words Dash suddenly looks apologetic.

"Sorry Applejack," Dash said. "It's been a rough couple of days."

"We understand Dash," Applejack said forgivingly. "Losin' a friend is never easy."

Dash winces at that. She then looks at you.

"Huh? What are you doing here?"

"They invited me, so I came along to see how you were doing," you answer her.

"Is that so?" she asked a little surprised. "I didn't think you'd want anything to do with me, because of that thing the other day."

"Well it was pretty rude," you say. "But you don't seem all that bad. Plus, this is can be a very trying time for any pony."

"Yeah…"

It seems she's warmed up to you slightly.

"So you feelin' okay Dash?" Applejack asked.

"If not then we're here to cheer you right up!" butted in Pinkie Pie.

"I'm alright Pinkie; there's no need for cheering up," Dash said. "It's just that Gilda was a close friend. She had only been in Ponyville for just the one day, and then to find her dead the next day. It was a real shock was all."

"You don't have to say anymore if ya don't wanna hon," comforted Applejack. "Ain't none of us in the same boat as you but I sure as heck don't want to go rockin' it with unwanted talk."

"Sheesh guys what's making you worry so much?" Dash asked. "I said I was fine. Didn't I tell you I was fine Fluttershy?"

"Yes you did Dash but it was still a major shock and I just thought-"

"There is absolutely nothing to worry about," Dash interrupted. "It'll take a lot more to put Rainbow Dash down completely."

"Alright Dash, if you're truly fine then we're fine with you bein' fine," said Applejack.

"Then let's all celebrate Dash feeling fine! Party at my place!" Pinkie excitedly said.

"Actually guys I don't feel like doing anything outside the house today," declined Dash. "I just haven't been in the zone; I feel more like sitting around and thinking. But that doesn't mean anything to be concerned about! Come tomorrow I will be back in the skies training as awesomely as before. An up-and-coming Wonderbolt can't afford to sit around doing nothing all day."

Dash flies up back to her house in a hurry.

"It was still thoughtful for you guys to come over, but as I said, I've got it all completely in my hooves."

She goes inside and abruptly closes the door. Though she puts on a convincing act you feel she's still troubled by Gilda's death. However you figure that everypony has their own way of dealing with troubling events so Dash may in fact be doing alright after all.

"So no celebration?" Pinkie asked.

"It doesn't look that way," you say.

"We'll celebrate another time Pinkie, after Dash is back to flyin' about," Applejack said.

"Okey-dokey!"

You all walk away from the cloud house back to Fluttershy's place, talking as you go.

"Dash looked like she was doing alright at least," said Fluttershy.

"Yeah, but you know how she's all bout puttin' on airs to make herself look good," said Applejack. "She still looked bothered, but knowin' her stubborn self she'll be out flyin' tomorrow to save face. It wouldn't surprise me the least bit."

"She must be a pretty resilient pegasus," you remark. "There's something I've been wondering about though: Has any of you heard any talks about Gilda in town recently?"

"Well apart from our breakfast together yesterday I haven't been in town much," said Fluttershy. "So I haven't heard anything, but I also don't normally pay attention to rumors."

"Me neither," joined Applejack. "My head's not been in the right place for listenin' yesterday."

Very subtle Applejack.

"I've been hearing things!" announced Pinkie.

"Really Pinkie Pie?" you ask.

"Really!" she reaffirmed. "When I was around the bakery or out bouncing about yesterday I heard ponies saying all kinds of things about Gilda, like 'it was really startling' and 'that griffon was trouble' and 'she might have deserved it'."

You give some props to Pinkie Pie for using different vocal tones when reciting those statements, but that last one got your attention.

"Deserved it?" you ask. "Who said that?"

"I forget," she said. "A few ponies I overheard were saying that if it was murder then somepony must've done it because of something she did to them, or something like that."

"What exactly could she have done to deserve being killed over?" you ask seriously.

"Dang gossipers talkin' all reckless," Applejack said. "In a town this small ponies tend to get caught up in rumors to the point of saying whatever comes to their minds as bein' fact. Usually it ain't so bad and don't happen often, but under the current circumstances the rumor mill is gonna be churnin' some manure."

"Well, it is kinda true that Gilda wasn't nice to most of the ponies," Fluttershy said.

"I think it's still early to be talkin' like that bout the deceased Fluttershy," half-scolded Applejack. "I mean really, some ponies just have no respect talkin' like that just to be heard."

"I have to admit, I thought Gilda was a bit of a meanie-pants," said Pinkie Pie. "But you're right Applejack: Negative talk like that doesn't fit a day as wonderful as this! So let's enjoy it and smell the roses and daisies and and tulips and-"

It seems Gilda had something of a bad reputation with the townsfoal, and from what you heard within the mirror it's not wholly unfounded. As you contemplate this Pinkie is still verbally going down a list of things to be smelled on a pleasant day. It's… very extensive.

**Time Passes. After dropping Fluttershy off at her house you head back to town where Pinkie Pie leaves on her own. Applejack walks with you back home as evening arrives.**

You and Applejack arrive at the front door of the library as the setting sun casts an orange hue over everything. Clouds have arisen in the south.

"Well, not much was done, but we've seen that Dash is holdin' up in her own way," Applejack reviewed.

"That's probably the most important thing," you say. "Thanks for escorting me to Fluttershy's."

"Nothin' to it," Applejack replied. "Even though you didn't know Dash that much you bein' with us today is much appreciated. Although I'm curious about the details of what happened between you and her the other day."

"It's not such a big deal in retrospect," you say. "Just something of a run-in we had on my way here to Ponyville."

"A run-in huh? Well give me the details another time and I'll be sure to give Dash a scoldin' for ya."

"That won't be necessary but thanks for the offer."

You both share a laugh.

"See you around Twilight," Applejack said before leaving.

You wave goodbye to her and turn to enter your house. Upon entering you spot Spike tidying up a shelf with a feather duster.

"Isn't this a pleasant surprise," you remark loudly, grabbing Spike's attention.

"Oh, hey Twilight," said Spike. "Uh, I'm doing this because I was bored."

"How was your solo walk around town? Find anything interesting?"

"To tell the truth Twi I didn't do that much walking. I've actually been here for a couple of hours, hence the boredom."

Spike puts down the feather duster and walks over to you.

"I didn't see anything interesting when I was out. Nothing but pony stuff, like in Canterlot but not as fancy. Oh! I actually did find something really cool."

Spike reaches behind himself and pulls out a rolled up poster. He unfurls it and you see it to be an advertisement for… dresses? Come to think of it, this looks exactly like the ad you saw when coming to Ponyville. It even has the same chique unicorn with the stylish mane.

"I found it on the wall of one of the buildings in town. It's just like the banner we saw when we first came here."

"And you just took it?"

"Oh uh, well, it looked like it had been there a while, and since it looked so nice I thought it'd be a shame if it just hung there all alone only to get discarded, and, ummm…"

His inner guilt couldn't be more transparent.

"You're going to return that poster where you found it first thing tomorrow," you said.

"But why? It's just a poster; it was gonna get thrown away eventually."

"Even so you still took something that wasn't yours. You could've at least asked somepony beforehand if you were that concerned for its well-being."

"Ask who? The pony whose wall of their house had a poster stuck to it? I'd look weird!"

"The point stands Spike that stealing is wrong and you're putting it back where you found it."

Spike gives a huff.

"Fine, I'll take it back."

"Tomorrow," you sternly say.

"Tomorrow," he mopes in agreement while looking away.

Spike walks away unhappy. You decide to let him stew, then decide to study a bit. After a while you decide to go to bed, and Spike does the same.

…

You're awoken by a bang at the window. It takes your eyes a while to adjust to the darkness, and when they do you see that the window is fine; perhaps it was only a loose tree branch. You notice that it's raining outside. You're suddenly overcome with curiosity.

"I wonder…"

You get out of bed and head downstairs. You go over to the mantel and sure enough the clock reads almost midnight. You stand hesitant for a moment. It was very bizarre the first time, but could it happen again you ponder. Now fully awake you decide to try the Midnight Reflection again. You walk up to the mirror nearby and stand a few extra feet from it just to be safe. You wait intently as the seconds pass, and then you hear the clock strike twelve.

You stare at your reflection and after a moment you see wisps of inky shadows fill the glass. However instead of a phantom appearing behind your mirror self the entire surface becomes pitch black, until something begins to form within the darkness. The image is remarkably clear, for not only could you tell that it was a pony amidst the darkness but what its features were. The pony seemed to be wearing black clothing that covered much of it so that you couldn't tell what color their hair was, and it was also wearing a veil that covered up their face and mane. Even with all the coverings something about this pony seemed familiar…

"_It's too much…"_

You're taken by surprise at the words. Did the pony in the mirror just speak?

"_I can't keep up with this. Not anymore…"_

It is indeed the reflection pony talking, but why does she sound so sorrowful?

"_I must go far away. Some place where I can never be a burden to anyone. Somewhere, where no one will miss me."_

The pony spreads a pair of pale cream-colored wings and floats backwards into the newly appeared entrance of a rundown building. After she enters the double doors of the building close, and then the darkness of the mirror vanishes, leaving you staring at just yourself once more. What was that about?

"Whoa; that was something else."

You're startled by the words and give a cry knocking away something behind you. You quickly bring up the lights of the house with magic and turn to find only Spike on the ground in an awkward and uncomfortable position.

"Spike? Why'd you sneak up on me like that?"

Spike got himself righted back up into a standing position.

"Sorry to scare you Twilight," he apologized. "I thought I heard somepony and woke up, and I saw you sitting here."

"Wait, were you… did you see all that?"

"Just the last part," he admitted. "What was that anyway Twilight? Was something trying to get out of the mirror?"

"I don't think so," you tell him. "I think you were around when Pinkie Pie talked about the Midnight Reflection, but it's this rumor about seeing your soul-mate in the mirror when it rains at midnight."

"Soul-mate?" said Spike. "That sounds like a stretch. So was that pony supposed to be your soul-mate?"

"No, but I think there's more to it than that," you say. "The last time it rained, I stayed up and saw something in the mirror like tonight, except the one who appeared in the mirror was Gilda."

"You serious?" Spike said with shock. "She was supposed to be your soul-mate? That's pretty grim."

"No Spike this has nothing to do with soul-mates!" you say exasperated. "What I'm trying to get at is that Gilda appearing in the mirror seemed like an omen, a foretelling of something to come. And sure enough the next day she's found murdered. We also hear her later within the mirror, thus…"

You faintly sensed a connection.

"Sooo, you're saying that pony we just saw is actually real and could be in danger of something?" Spike asked.

"Maybe, but this is only the second time I've seen this happen, and Gilda didn't talk when I saw her in the reflection. Nor was the image this clear. The whole thing's strange…"

"Spooky is more like it," Spike added. "But whoever it was said they wanted to go far away, so maybe they want to go on vacation."

"Hmm…"

"It's probably not such a good idea to think about it so much when it's this late," Spike suggested. "We should just sleep on it and talk about it later."

Spike returns to bed, but you're still lost in thought. You doubt that what you just heard was somepony's desire to go on vacation as Spike suggested. You know that the pony was a Pegasus and had a very melancholic voice. Who could she be, and does her appearance in the mirror entail some kind of foreboding event to come? You might want to talk to the others about this next time you get the chance, but for now you decide to listen to Spike and get some sleep, hoping you won't wake to find that another grim discovery was made in town.


	9. Further Developments

**Day Six, Sunny**

**Further Developments**

It's morning, and after a good night's sleep you and Spike have come to town to have breakfast at the café. Fortunately you have not seen or heard anything about an accident or murder on your way there. Neither of you have spoken a word about last night's Midnight Reflection, in part because satisfying one's hunger takes priority over deliberation. As you delight in your freshly-baked oat bagel you spot Applejack walking by, and she spots you as well.

"Ah, Applejack," you say toward her.

"Well howdy Twilight," she greets as she heads over to you. "It's the darnedest thing: I've been seein' you everyday since we first met."

"I was about to say," you agree. "The town isn't very big so it shouldn't be that much a surprise. Care to join us for breakfast?"

"I can sit with ya a spell, but I already had breakfast at home."

She comes over and takes a seat at your table.

"Morning Applejack," greets Spike once he looks away from his extra crispy omelet.

"Mornin' Spike," she replies. "We missed ya yesterday."

"Eh, what can you do," he dismisses quickly to get back to his eggy goodness.

"You in town running errands Applejack?" you ask.

"Not at all," she responds. "I woke up a little early and decided to go over to Dash's place to check on her. Sure enough, she's out flyin' the skies like I said she would. A stubborn mare she is. She seemed really into it so I chose not to bother her and came here to see if anything else was happenin'."

"Stubborn or not it sounds like she's gotten better. She could be pushing herself though," you added before biting into your bagel.

"I was thinkin' the same thing too," Applejack said, and then paused for a moment before saying, "Did ya know it was rainin' last night?"

"Yeah; it actually woke me up for a bit," you say.

"Yeah, it sorta did the same fer me too," she said a bit hesitantly. "Ya see Twilight, I couldn't git any sleep last night and when it started to rain it made it worse. So I decided to stay awake a bit and soon it was almost midnight. I decided to try that rumor and wouldn't you know it I actually saw somepony in the mirror at midnight."

"Seriously!" you say surprised.

"Yeah, a pony all dressed up and talkin' sad like. I thought I was goin' crazy from lack of sleep but after the weird stuff I've seen lately I figured it was somethin' from the other side, like the other me."

"Pretty freaky stuff, huh?" said Spike. "I kind of got that impression too when I think about it."

"Yeah," she agreed, and then did a double take in surprise. "Hold on, you saw it too?"

"Yeah, we both did," you explain. "He got up when I was watching and he saw it for himself. So between the three of us it couldn't have been some delusion."

"Or all three of us could be equally crazy," Spike said.

"Don't joke about that Spike," you scold.

Spike gives a devious laugh and keeps eating.

"That's not all though," spoke Applejack. "When it ended I thought to when you got your hoof in the mirror and I tried putting my hoof through mine, and it went through!"

"It did!"

That extra information was so shocking you and Spike had to team up for a joint exclamation.

"I was pretty dern surprised myself," Applejack admitted. "It felt like water when it went through but I pulled it out before I wound up fallin' in."

"When were you able to start doing that?" Spike asked in disbelief. "I thought it was just our mirror that could eat ponies."

"I doubt the mirrors are actually trying to eat us Spike," you say unamused.

"Maybe when I got that glowin' thing after accepting my feelin's I became able to do that," Applejack deduced. "Didn't you call it somethin' when you got yours Twilight?"

"Yeah: Foal-sona," you tell her.

"Foal-sona? Guess gittin' my 'Foal-sona' gave me some weird side-effects, huh?" she said almost embarrassedly.

"Regardless, it seems the occurrence of the Midnight Reflection cannot be a one-time event given this latest information," you deducted seriously. "Also the freak occurrence of being able to enter mirrors isn't just limited to one pony, and then there is the question of the pony that showed up in the mirror last night."

"Yeah, I was about to ask that," Applejack said. "She sounded familiar though."

"If the pony that appeared in the mirror is somepony here in Equestria and possibly this very town we're going to need more information," you decide. "We should seek out Pinkie Pie and see if she saw the Midnight Reflection as well. Perhaps she knows who it was."

"Are we really investigating this thing?" Spike asked. "I thought it was agreed we'd leave it at us barely making out of the mirror alive."

"I'm afraid not Spike," you say. "Not when there's the possibility that the pony shown in the mirror could be in some kind of danger, like with Gilda."

"You have a point there Twilight," Applejack agreed.

"Alright, then let's proceed to find Pinkie Pie right away," you decree.

You pay for your breakfast and the three of you leave the café in search of Pinkie Pie.

"It's probably not fitting for me to talk this about after everything we just discussed but lately I've been thinking I should start making breakfast at home instead of coming into town every day," you say.

"Well shucks hon you coulda been doin' that anytime," said Applejack. "Not everypony eats out for breakfast all the time so you don't always have to come by for somethin' to eat."

"That's true, plus it'd be a lot cheaper," you agree. "But I don't think I have the proper equipment at home to even make breakfast."

"What about the stuff down in the basement?" Spike suggested. "Surely you could at least make toast with one of the burners."

"Burners aren't best-suited for toast-making," you said with a sigh. "Although if I reassembled some of the equipment… Nah, that would probably be pointless not to mention dangerous-"

"Hey guys what are you talking about?"

Like a pink heat-seeking missile of social engagement Pinkie Pie has appeared before the group in hopes of joining whatever conversation you're having, and as usual she's speaking at rapid-fire.

"I couldn't help but overhear something about making toast and even though I don't eat toast all that much I know a bit about making them and if I want to be a swell baker I need to know everything about cooking especially for things like toast speaking of which what do you put on your-"

"Perfect, we found you," you say without the slightest hint of disruption.

It's concerning how used to this you are already, you know?

"Listen Pinkie Pie we've come to talk to you," you resume.

"About toast?" she asked eagerly.

"No, about the Midnight Reflection," you tell her. "Did you see anything in the mirror last night?"

"Nope!"

She saw nothing in the mirror for real?

"I was busy sleeping!"

Too quick a conclusion you think to your mixed relief and slight agitation.

"I was at home busily planning something spectacular as well as figuring out all the best possible hiding spots for hide-and-seek in every place imaginable and I guess I must've fallen asleep when I sat down on my bed to think," she elaborated quickly. "I had a feeling it was going to rain last night but I've already seen that Gilda was my soul-mate so what would've been the point?"

You resist the gnawing urge to give yourself a face-hoof. You need to be focused for this.

"Pinkie, last night we all stayed up and saw a pony in the mirror around midnight, and it was the same pony for each of us," you explain to her.

"You saw it for yourselves?" Pinkie said surprised addressing Applejack and Spike. "Who was your soul-mate or mates?"

"That's what we were hoping we could learn from you," you say. "We thought maybe you would have known who the pony that appeared was, but since you didn't stay up to see it then asking you is pretty much pointless."

"How about if you describe the pony for me?" she offers.

You all look at her curiously.

"I know every pony here in town, so if you told me what the pony looked like then I could tell you who it is!"

This hopeless cause has suddenly turned around! Maybe…

"Of course!" exclaimed Applejack. "Gettin' to know ponies is as big a deal to her as plannin' parties."

It's definitely turned around! Deduction time!

"Okay," you nod to Applejack, then look to Pinkie. "The pony was a mare, about our height,"

"She wore a lot of black clothes like she was going to a funeral," continued Spike.

"And she sounded real sad, as in her voice was s'pose to sound that way," added Applejack.

"Oh! And she was also a Pegasus," you conclude. "Any of that ring a bell?"

Pinkie Pie thinks.

"Hrm… I can't think of a pony who wears black clothes or sounds really sad, especially not a Pegasus," she tells you.

"Are you sure?" you ask, though you felt the certainty in her words.

"So much for that," said Spike defeatedly.

"To be honest I don't really keep in touch with all the ponies I meet," Pinkie says. "Maybe one of them had a change in fashion recently. But you know somepony who would know about pegasi: Fluttershy! We should ask her!"

"That don't sound too bad an idea," spoke Applejack. "We could go ask Fluttershy, wouldn't you agree Twilight?"

Wow, you're honestly amazed at the line of logic exhibited by Pinkie, and even more so that it made sense. Fluttershy could indeed know more about the pegasi that reside in town. So could Rainbow Dash but you figure she's preoccupied for the time-being. You decide seeking out Fluttershy will be the next best course of action in unraveling this identity mystery.

"Yes," you say. "We can see what she might know about the pony, and there's the slim chance that she may have stayed up to see the Midnight Reflection for whatever reason. And with Spike with us she should be more at ease to talk."

"Oh so now I'm gonna be used as a bribe?" Spike asked insulted.

"It may not come to that but it's always fun to tease you," you say mischievously.

You begin laughing and the other girls join though Spike isn't the slightest bit amused.

"So we're off to Fluttershy's?" Pinkie asked.

"Yep, that seems to be the plan," said Applejack.

"Whoopee, Fluttershy's! And on our way there we can go back to talking about toast!"

It's hard to say Pinkie has a one-track mind when there are so many individual tracks jumbled together in that head of hers…

Now with an additional bouncing companion in tow you and the others head for Fluttershy's cottage. As you walk through the town square you all spot a familiar wonky-eyed gray Pegasus prancing by some houses.

"Muh-ffins Muh-ffins gonna get some Muh-ffins, lalalala,"

She stops her singing when she spots you with one of her crooked eyes and halts in place to turn and greet you.

"Oh heeey you're those ponies from the other day!" she addressed you in a loud friendly manner.

You all approach her as she grins at you.

"Hey, you were the Pegasus at the crime scene," you point out. "Um, I didn't catch your name…"

"Derpy Hooves, Volunteer Amateur Detective," she replies proudly. "As you can see I am hard at work solving a case."

Uh-huh… Actually, you might want to ask her how the investigation is going.

"Eh, Derpy, would you mind me asking how the investigation over Gilda's death is going?" you politely ask.

"Yeah; find anythin' to explain how she died?" Applejack asked.

"That is classified information citizen," Derpy said in her best authoritative voice, only to drop it when saying the next sentence. "Buuut it shouldn't hurt to tell just the three of you that we've discovered nothing so far."

The three of you? Did she not notice Spike? Meh, can't put it past her given those eyes.

"It's nothing to worry about though," Derpy continued. "In fact the mayor will be issuing a statement in a couple of days to inform everypony how unworrisome the situation is. And although we haven't figured out a cause of death we do have a prime suspect."

"You do?" you ask surprised.

"Yup; a Miss Fluttershy to be exact."

You give a small gasp and so do the others, making for a not-so-small gasping noise.

"Fluttershy a suspect? How shocking!" Pinkie said in an excited yet concerned voice.

"Why Fluttershy, if ya mind me askin'?" Applejack asked.

"Apparently Ms. Griffon wasn't too popular with the locals, often being the instigator of mean-spirited pranks and unprovoked aggression toward ordinary by-standing ponies," Derpy explained. "However there were witness accounts of one particular incident where the victim roared in the face of the Pegasus in question, causing her to run away crying. Plenty of motivation for a revenge killing if I do say so."

"No way! That pony's too delicate to commit murder!" Spike defended.

"Yes way out-of-nowhere voice," Derpy said. "In fact I was just on my way to her house to interrogate her, but I then realized that there were delicious criminals that needed to be apprehended with my stomach."

She starts prancing away.

"I best hurry along before I lose my appetite and allow those yummy baddies get away. You ponies stay out of trouble, and have yourselves checked for Disembodied Voice Syndrome. It could be fatal."

She leaves on her errand singing about muffins once more. A strange filly that one… Hold on, there's that matter of Fluttershy being a suspect in Gilda's murder!

"That's doggone absurd!" Applejack said outraged. "Fluttershy a killer? What are them detectives thinkin' suspectin' her?"

"Well she did say she didn't like Gilda all that much this one time," Pinkie said. "But she's too nice to actually hurt anyone, much less kill them!"

"That 'detective' said she was going to Fluttershy's to interrogate her," you say. "We have to hurry and get there first to warn her."

"And get some answers outta her," said Spike. "Uh, just so we're certain that she really wouldn't do that sort of thing."

"Let's git goin' then!" Applejack said.

You all start running in the direction of Fluttershy's home.

**Time Passes. It's close to noon by the time you and the others make it to Fluttershy's house.**

You all hurry up to the front door of Fluttershy's cottage and come to a stop. Like yesterday there is an assortment of woodland creatures milling about the yard. After taking a moment to catch your breath you walk up to the door and raise a hoof to knock on it.

"Fluttershy?" you inquire. "It's Twilight. We've come to talk to you about something."

There is no immediate response. You knock again and wait a little longer. Still no response.

"Maybe she's not home," Pinkie said.

"Darn, then where could she be then?" Spike asked.

It seems Fluttershy has gone out on an errand. Wait a moment; something's amiss!

"Hey, the door's not completely closed," you point out.

You reach forward and push against the door, which swings back slowly without resistance from the other side. You decide to enter the cottage.

"I don't think it's polite to barge into Fluttershy's house without her permission," Pinkie said.

"She probably won't mind if it's just us," Applejack assured.

The others follow you in. You enter into a very quaint living room decorated with all sorts of cozy furniture and knick-knacks such as a couch, cushion, throw rugs and other humble things. Nearby is a stairway up to the second floor. You see no sign of Fluttershy whatsoever.

"Fluttershy? Ya home darlin'?" Applejack called.

Nothing but silence follows. You start to get a bad feeling.

"I'm gunna check upstairs," Applejack said.

"And I'm gonna check the kitchen!" Pinkie said eagerly.

The two split off and search the house, leaving you with Spike in the living room.

"She must've just forgotten to close the door all the way when she went out," Spike suggests.

"Perhaps," you say. "I just can't shake this feeling though…"

Something catches you attention: On the floor nearby is a rug partially folded over and some pieces of broken china. The other two ponies come back from their respective searches and rejoin the two of you.

"She ain't upstairs," Applejack reported.

"She's not in the kitchen, but the pantry's packed," reported Pinkie as she munched on a snack no doubt from the aforementioned pantry. "It's weird: What could she have gone out to get if it's not food?"

You're still eyeing the rug and debris. You begin walking over to them.

"Found somethin' Twilight?" Applejack asked. "What is it?"

"Something out of place," you tell her slowly.

You get over to the items and take note that they're next to a wall that held a shelf of various plates on it, with one missing. It looks as though Fluttershy may have tripped on the rug and bumped into the wall causing one of the plates to fall and smash on the ground. But there is one other thing about the wall that's concerning: There is a large mirror hanging beside the shelf.

"What's outta place Twilight?" Applejack pressed you. "What're ya thinkin' happened if anythin'?"

It can't be you think to yourself. But then again could it? You lift up a hoof and look at it a moment, then very tenderly reach out to the mirror and press it. Sure enough your hoof has phased through the glass into an unknown watery sensation and this time Pinkie Pie is there to see it.

"Whoa Twilight how are you doing that?" she asked you unfazed.

"Guys, I might have a theory as to what happened," you say half-startled.

"How the? Are ya serious?" Applejack asked a bit flabberghasted.

Spike looks really freaked out and is shaking his head while Pinkie Pie looks at you and the mirror silently with a curious look.

"No no no no no no no, please not again!" Spike begged frantically. "It was supposed to be just the one time!"

"If I can enter through here then there is the slim chance-"

"No gosh darn way!" Applejack yelled to stop your sentence. "Are you tellin' me that Fluttershy somehow fell into the mirror like we all did? How could she? Only you and I have that-"

Applejack gets interrupted by a dramatic gasp from Pinkie Pie.

"Fluttershy fell into the mirror!" Pinkie cried in a panic. "Why are we just standing around we gotta help her!"

"Wait Pinkie you-"

Pinkie bounces madly over to you and pushes you aside though your hoof remains in the mirror.

"Hang on Fluttershy I'll get you out!"

With a hop Pinkie leaps into the mirror and disappears from sight. At this point Spike is pulling at the scales on his head.

"This is seriously not good!" he cried in escalating distress.

"Gull dernit Pinkie Pie! It's not just her mane that's full a air jumpin' in like that!" cursed Applejack at the mirror.

"That settles it then: We have to go in after her," you decide.

"Ahhhhhhh I really don't wanna go back in there," complained Spike. "It was weird and scary enough the first time!"

"You can stay here if you want," you tell him firmly. "Me and Applejack should be able to get her out ourselves. Just make sure nopony else comes and falls in before we get back."

"What? I can't just let you go wandering around that place without me!" he argued. "Nnnnnnn, Darn It! Let's just get out of there quicker this time!"

Spike gives a battle cry and runs at the mirror arms raised and eyes closed and jumps in. You and Applejack just look at each other for a moment.

"That wasn't so hard," Applejack remarked and shrugged.

"Let's just hurry and get those two out of trouble," you tell her.

Applejack nods. The two of you step through the mirror together, and find yourselves diving back into the Shadow Realm.

**It looks like Pinkie Pie has gotten our heroes into quite the situation. What new dangers are to be found this time in the Shadow Realm? Can Twilight and friends rescue Pinkie Pie and return unharmed, or will they fall prey to the unknown? Find out in the next exciting installment of PONY BALL Z!**

**(No I'm not turning this into DBZ, but wouldn't that be weird/scary if I did? Anyway stay tuned; it's only going to get more exciting!)**


	10. Pink Menace

**Day Six, Unknown**

**Pink Menace**

After some falling you and Applejack eventually hit the ground. Instead of a hard flat surface this time around you find yourself resting on something soft and bumpy. Luckily the darkness isn't as absolute as it was the last time, but your eyes still need time to adjust to it.

"You still in one piece Twilight?" asked Applejack half-jokingly.

"Yeah, something broke my fall," you reply. "Anyway we have to find where Pinkie Pie and Spike went."

"Ugh, she's over there…"

You look down and discover that you are resting atop Spike, who is pointing out weakly. You quickly get off of him

"Sorry Spike."

You take a moment to conjure some light with your horn. Looking in the direction of Spike's pointing you spot Pinkie Pie some yards away looking up at something. Noticing the light you're emitting she turns to you.

"Oh hey guys!" Pinkie said. "A thought just occurred to me: How could Fluttershy have fallen into the mirror? It's only a thin piece of glass and wood stuck together, so how could there be any room for a pony to fall in and get stuck? Now hiding in one is another thing."

You give a face-hoof.

"Dern it Pinkie couldn't you have thought of that before jumpin' head-first into here?" Applejack asked impatiently as she walked up to your side. Spike has also gotten up and appears a bit woozy.

"Well I'm quick to help a friend in need," she said matter-of-factly before turning back to what she was looking at. "And I just found a place where a pony COULD get stuck."

You all look at what she's referring to and are struck by the sight of a large ominous-looking building. The building is several stories tall with a large rectangular front side of wood paneling and lots of eerie-looking windows, as well as two large doors for an entrance. The structure was painted in some kind of grayish white that made it appear more decrepit than the loose boards and shattered windows would suggest. The roof was styled like that of a mansion, but to you it all seemed like an abandoned institution of some sort. You feel an uninviting vibe emanating from it.

"Where'd that come from?" Spike asked now fully recovered from his "spill" by the discovery.

"We've clearly landed somewhere different from before," you say. "I guess different mirrors drop us off in different places."

"So unfamiliar territory?" Applejack surmised.

"That's just great," Spike said unhappily.

"It looks really spooky," said Pinkie. "Let's go explorin'! Whee!"

Without a second thought Pinkie bounced toward the ominous looming building humming along the way. The heavy-looking doors of the entrance opened inward and admitted the strange pink guest in. Applejack groans frustratingly.

"Off again she goes on a whim," she said. "I'm gunna give her such a talkin' too about lookin' before leapin', I swear."

"We better go after her," you say. "She has no idea what she's getting into."

The three of you hurry into the now open entrance of the building. You step into a long foreboding hallway that's as rundown as the outside with dust and shadows covering the floors and walls of chipped paneling. When you think about it the condition of this place could be the result of neglect rather than age.

"I don't know how but I think it's somehow darker in here than outside," Spike pointed out worriedly.

"Just stay close and we shouldn't bump into anything," you say calmly, though you feel unease from the surroundings.

You Applejack and Spike proceed down the hall at a brisk walking pace. As you walk along you pass by doors on either side of the hallway every few feet. Some of the doors are jarred or completely open, revealing darkened rooms of long-forgotten beds and nightstands, which seem to belong in a hospital. You begin to notice how unusually long the spooky corridor is.

"I really don't like this place," Spike moaned. "Everywhere I look I keep getting the creeps. At least the last place was wide open and had torches."

"Quit complaining already Spike," you tell him. "This place looks as empty as the last one, if a little more off-putting. And since those creatures didn't follow us indoors last time then I can assume that we are safe and secure by being inside."

Shortly after you said that a great glob of living inkiness flies out of a room and assaults you.

"How's that for secure!" Spike cried.

It's battle time! The glob explodes and expels several of the bat things from before looking for a fight. You and Applejack stand ready to oblige.

"Oh it's just the bats from last time, phew," Spike said from the sidelines in relief. "And there are only three of them; you should be able to mop the floor with them!"

"Thank you Spike; your earnest support of me remains as consistent as ever," you tell him sarcastically.

Two of the bats attack first, one going for you and the other Applejack. You deftly sidestep your attacker and Applejack does the same with gusto, rendering the two enemies on their backs.

"Awesome dodge Applejack!" Spike praised.

"Thank ya darlin'" said Applejack.

"Okay, time to finish this-"

"Hold on Twilight, I got this one."

Applejack charges at the one hovering bat and turns to deliver a powerful buck that blows off its shadow covering, defeating it.

"Ha! Dang things have gotten slower since the last time," Applejack taunted.

"Or you got a lot faster," Spike suggested.

Now you and Applejack are facing two downed tongue bats.

"Hey Twilight, I say we rush 'em!" Applejack said.

"Rush them? As in attack them, at the same time?" you ask.

"Kick 'em while they're down: That's the plan!" she affirmed.

"Well it seems rather unsporting but we are defending ourselves so okay," you say with a nod.

"Chaaarge!"

Applejack's yell gets you pumped with adrenaline and you charge at the bats with Applejack and proceed to stomp the ever-loving Celestia out of the defenseless creatures. After the dust clears there is pony-shaped cloud hanging over the bats as they explode and revert to their original selves. The battle has come to a rousing conclusion!

Applejack is now Beginner Rank in combat! **Jenny Appleseed **has grown in power and has learned the ability **Apple Storm!**

The hall becomes eerily silent once more in the wake of the short skirmish. You and Applejack stand tall at achieving such an effortless victory.

"Well shucks that weren't nothin' at all," Applejack said with confidence. "Spike you were lookin' to high-tail it outta here; they were weak enough for even you to handle I bet."

"They came out of nowhere in an instant and you two had it under control so there would've been no point in me joining in," Spike said defensively.

"Okay Spike, say what you will," said Applejack. "But in any case we whooped them good Twilight."

"That we did, but we had faced them before so there was a distinct advantage from the start," you say. "That double-team at the end made it a bit exciting though."

From somewhere you hear whimsical humming.

"What oh what secrets do you hold mysterious spooky place? Could it be a desire for some cheerful remodeling? Well Pinkie Pie's on the case!"

"She's close by, down the hall!" you exclaim.

"Let's get her then!" Spike said confidently.

Foregoing caution you all run straight up the hall to the other end. As you begin to see the other end getting closer you see a shadow blob slithering along the ground some yards ahead. It hasn't noticed the group's approach.

"A living shadow up ahead," you warn.

"I got 'im!"

Applejack charges to the front of the group and leaps at the blob ahead stamping on it with her front hooves. The blob pops and expels some creatures, beginning combat. For this battle you are facing two wolf-like creatures covered in red markings and looking very vicious. Luckily though Applejack's preemptive strike has given the two of you an Advantage!

"Aww I thought I could take it out with one stomp," Applejack said disappointed.

"It looks like you caught them off-guard though," you tell her. "I can still end the fight right away."

You gather energy to unleash your end-all attack.

**Illumni**

**Morgana **appears over you and produces a glaring flash over the enemies; however to your dismay the flash had little effect on them.

"Huh? It didn't take them out?" you ask.

"Twilight, something I noticed about them: They aren't entirely covered in shadow stuff like those bats were," Spike informed. "I think that attack is only effective against things that are smothered in darkness unlike these two."

"Excellent information Spike though this is probably the worst possible time to bring it up!" you say.

"Looks like we're gonna have to wrangle them the ol' fashion way," Applejack said unfazed.

Applejack runs forward and Attacks one of the wolves, doing moderate damage. It is now the wolves' turn as they assault the both of you. You and Applejack are unable to dodge their strikes and you receive surprisingly strong blows. You begin to feel a little weakened.

"Twilight! Oh man you actually look hurt," Spike said with worry.

"It's not that bad Spike," you assure him. "But these things are stronger than they look. If there was something to counteract it…"

You remember that you had learned something after facing Applejack's shadow. Guess this is as good a time as any to try it out.

**Weaken**

Your Foal-sona appears again and does a hand motion that summons a curtain of light which seems to press down on the wolves making them appear less strong.

"Hey, maybe I should give my Foal-sona a try," said Applejack. "Lessee if I can do it though."

Applejack grits her teeth and gives an exaggerated look of strain as she tries to bring out her Foal-sona.

"Come on. Sumthin' as simple as a buck would do."

**Buck**

The pot-capped and overall-wearing filly arises and delivers a strong buck to the wolf that had been previously attacked. The blow knocks it many yards back dealing critical damage that removes the red markings and turns it back to normal.

"Yee-haw!" she celebrated.

Once the wolf flees its partner lunges at Twilight again but the blow it deals is considerably less serious than before. That new spell of yours is certainly effective.

"Come on guys, just one left!" Spike rooted.

"Very well," you say.

**Skewer**

Your Foal-sona pokes her staff at the wolf for moderate damage, and Applejack has hers do another **Buck. **Though not as critical as before the attack frees the wolf of its markings and allows it to run free. Another battle concluded.

You feel a little weary from that last fight. Continuously running headlong into battles like this unprepared will undoubtedly prove severe to your health.

"You don't look so well Twilight," Applejack said with concern.

"Maybe you should lie down…" Spike suggested.

"No, I'm fine guys," you say to them. "It was tougher than I expected but nothing unmanageable."

You shake off the fatigue to the best of your ability. There is still the one thing to be done and she's close by. Odd, you don't recall ever being this determined in doing something for something other than studying, particularly for the sake of another. You're mildly made uncertain by this thought.

"Come on, we're almost at the end."

You and the others resume running for another few yards before reaching a set of double doors at the end. An unsettling air surrounds it.

"Here it is," said Applejack.

Spike starts sniffing.

"Cakes and confetti," Spike described. "Yup, that has to be her on the other side."

Open the spooky doors and proceed?

**Yes**

You all barge through the doors and enter a large square room like an annex of some kind with a large round carpet in the center taking up most of the floor space. For some reason the shadows that cover the room are a bluish sort of purple, and for an even stranger reason there are windows at the sides of the room that have light beaming downwards through them though there wasn't an outside source of light when you entered. A ways from the center of the room you see Pinkie Pie standing and looking around.

"This room would really lighten up with some streamers, and balloons are a must!" she was telling herself.

"Pinkie Pie!" yelled Applejack angrily. "What's gotten into you, runnin' off by yerself into a weird place ya never been before? Now quit horsin' around and git over here!"

Pinkie Pie turns to you without the smallest sign of guilt on her face.

"Ah, there you are," she said. "Sorry for leaving you behind, but I couldn't resist seeing what was in here, and you probably overheard that I'm going to give the décor here a complete overhaul. I'm no Rarity but I have confidence that I can turn this place around!"

"Pinkie, this place is incredibly dangerous," you told her seriously. "You can't just wander around here with those things waiting to attack."

"Things? What things? You mean like ghosts?"

It seems she is unaware of the shadow creatures. Did she simply pass them by without noticing? Or did they avoid her intentionally…

Just then a distant voice fills the air.

"It has been so difficult. I have been difficult. To all those who looked after me, even though I gave nothing in return…"

"Ooh ooh a spook!" Pinkie said excitedly. "Hold on, I know that voice from anywhere: It's definitely Fluttershy!"

"Huh!" you exclaim.

The voice was unquestionably Fluttershy's, but it sounded sadder, much like the pony you saw in the mirror HOLY COW! You just realize the pony you saw in the mirror was Fluttershy! You listen on.

"To everyone who spent their time trying to help me, I want to apologize deeply. No pony should have to put up with such a hopeless cause as me. I hope they find a more fulfilling use of their time instead of the frustration and disappointment they have been receiving…"

The voice goes quiet.

"Sumthin' ain't right," said Applejack. "Fluttershy never talks this way bout herself, and she sounded regretful."

"It appears that my assumption was right," you reply. "Fluttershy did fall into the mirror, and she's somewhere in this place."

Meanwhile Pinkie Pie was not paying attention and started talking.

"Why does Fluttershy want to apologize? She didn't do anything wrong, that I know of. Maybe it was recent, or really bad, otherwise why would she be sounding so sad?"

"_Why… Why… That is a question I ask myself allll the time."_

You're alerted by a much closer and more spiteful voice and turn toward it, where you and the others see a figure walking toward you.

"_Why does Fluttershy act so innocent? Why do I keep acting all cheery? And the biggest stumper of them all: Why do I keep putting up with all these ponies that I DESPISE!"_

To your dismay the newcomer is another Pinkie Pie. Like with Applejack's other self this version had yellow eyes and darkness rising from it, but that wasn't all. The pink of her body was more toned down and her mane and tail wasn't puffy but straightened out, hanging off her head and rump and making her look miserable. Her face was one of seething contempt.

"Pinkie's other self!" Spike exclaimed.

"Right now of all times?" Applejack complained.

"Hey, it's a pony that looks just like me, and even sounds like me!" Pinkie said enthusiastically.

The shadow Pinkie gives a groan.

"_As always, you greet every new thing with a smile and an irritating show of enthusiasm. It's sickening."_

"Is this a masquerade, or are we playing a game where you try to be me? That'd be so fun!" said Pinkie.

"_How'd it come to this? Life used to be so simple back on the rock farm. Painfully dull, but not nearly as painful as the lifestyle you've chosen. Pushing rocks across a barren field everyday would be a welcome relief after spending years planning parties and yapping it up with every pony in sight for almost every waking hour. It was tiring pointless labor back home but at least I could keep my sanity while doing it!"_

"That's interesting; you know about the rock farm…" Pinkie said.

"_Then there's the thing you did with your name. Pinkamena Diane Pie was a stupid name I admit but why 'Pinkie?' You could have just stuck with Diane; Diane is a respectable name. But you went with Pinkie, which is waaay stupider. It's so kiddie and dumb and probably the main reason you keep acting like an annoying brat!"_

"Wow, you even know my actual name," Pinkie replied unfazed. "You're pretty good."

"_See, that's what I'm talking about, RIGHT THERE!"_

The frustrated shadow stomps a hoof and a flare of darkness spouts out of her briefly.

"_You think of everything as a game. You tell yourself every morning when you wake up 'I'm going to be as cheerful and annoying as possible' and do it to the point of overkill. No matter the setting or situation you have to act all happy and carefree. Getting groceries? Do a little dance. Looking over a selection of cupcakes? Let's sing a song about it. Trapped in a dark decrepit manor surrounded by nasty creatures and facing a darker version of yourself? Treat her as a friend and PLAY CHARADES LIKE NOTHING'S WRONG!"_

"You're starting to not sound like me," Pinkie judged her other self. "You're sounding much too angry."

"_It's because I AM ANGRY! Angry that you keep lying to yourself by putting on a grinning face and pandering to every pony you see, throwing parties for every dumb insignificant reason and always, ALWAYS treating every discussion like they're talking about your most favorite thing in the world. What you're doing isn't healthy, especially FOR ME!"_

"What's going on? Pinkie doesn't seem to be affected by what her other self is telling her," Spike noted. "Is the shadow telling lies?"

"I think not," said Applejack. "Pinkie has a… unique way of handling criticism and negativity."

The shadow resumes, looking more sinister and angry than before.

"_I know the truth though. You're as tired of the parties and this cheerful act as much as I am. The first time you threw a party you believed that you had to throw parties all the time otherwise your life would lose meaning and return to a solitary monotonous routine. Yet you pushed yourself to keep throwing parties telling yourself that you were making others happy, but that's not the reason. You were distancing yourself from the hopeless gray life of a rock farmer, but you've done it to the point where all your life is about throwing parties which has become as pointless as pushing rocks. Be it on a farm or in a bakery you're bringing yourself closer to insanity and the only way to save yourself is to break free and take out everypony around you._

"_Strike at those who acted as the living components that kept you in an unending cycle of party-planning. You act the way you do because it guarantees acceptance in a place much brighter than that of your birth, but no more! I know you want to end the lies, to make all of them pay for encouraging your tormenting lifestyle that's far worse than the one you escaped!_

"_I know this because I am you, and ever-so-nice Pinkie Pie is looking to paint this miserable town red!"_

There is a long span of silence. You're utterly shocked and appalled by the supposed truths that were revealed, and the other two seem to feel the same way. For a pony like Pinkie Pie to have such resentment toward the thing she loves doing; what could she possibly have to say to that?

"Hmm… You started out really well, but then you stopped sounding like me," she said in her usual voice. "Most of the things you said aren't even true. I like being happy, and I love throwing parties all the time. And I would never think of anypony like that. You look and sound like me, but you got the facts all wrong. I'm afraid I have to tell you that you're not me. Guess that means you lose the game; better luck next time!"

Something seemed to shatter as the other Pinkie's eyes became murderous and she started growling with dark energy swirling around her.

"_Like I need your approval! This time I'm throwing the party, and it'll be one to DIE FOR!"_

From many directions shadows stream toward the other Pinkie and get absorbed, engulfing her and building up into something truly monstrous. When the shadows depart you behold a towering mechanical abomination that stood on two massive legs and had two massive arms, all of which were made of a horrendous combination of stone, wood and gears that was covered in splotches of a red substance. In both its huge metallic fists it held two equally huge meat cleavers. The mecha didn't have a head but in between its shoulders were a tattered butcher's cap and a tattered pointy party hat with a spiked ball on its tip. Seated in a slot in the mecha's torso was the other Pinkie Pie who had her hooves on some levers and was now wearing a combo butcher and party hat as well, and was wearing a menacing mask that covered half her maniacal-looking face.

The battle has started, and it looks like it's going to be a tough one.

"_I am a shadow… The true self… I'll show you how serious I am by mincing you to bits, and afterwards I'll take what's left of you and serve it in Sugar Cube Corner's latest line of cupcakes. It'll be such a TREAT! HAHAHAHAA!"_

"Was my other self this deranged when you fought it?" Applejack asked you and Spike.

"It was massive, but it only wanted to crush us, not chop us up into pieces," answered Spike.

"We have to be careful; those cleavers look deadly," you caution Applejack.

"_It's party time!"_

This looks like one incredibly dangerous foe. It would be wise to make some necessary precautions.

**Weaken**

**Morgana **lowers Shadow Pie's strength. That should make those deadly cleavers less so. Applejack follows up with a **Buck **from **Jenny Appleseed**, which makes the behemoth stumble slightly but nothing more.

"_Hmph, not bad; now here's some real impact!"_

The dreaded bot winds up a cleaver and brings it down on Applejack, who back steps to avoid a full-on blow. However the force of impact causes a concussive wave that hits her for a good bit of damage.

"Ow, what in tarnation?"

Though weakened Shadow Pie's attacks are a considerable threat, even when they're glancing blows. Shadow Pie laughs maniacally from her cockpit.

"Why you!" yelled Applejack.

"She's faster then she looks!" warned Spike. "Stay on your hooves and steer clear of those things you two!"

"That's what I tried to do Spike!" bickered Applejack.

This machine is definitely formidable. Better go at it with everything you got!

**Skewer**

**Morgana **stabs at thine enemy but it isn't too effective, not even getting it to stumble.

"_What was that? That wasn't even a prick! To think that I would show interest in a pony sooo pathetically weak!"_

"Hey that's not very nice!"

Just then the real Pinkie Pie bounces in and stands between you and her other self.

"Pinkie Pie!" Applejack cried.

"First you go attacking my friends and then you start calling them names? How mean!" Pinkie Pie scolded the towering death mecha. "Why are you resorting to violence anyway? It never solves anything. Ooh, I know what will resolve our differences: A song!"

~When everything doesn't seem so well, when it gets so rough that you cannot tell-

The mecha bats away Pinkie Pie with the broad side of one of its cleavers, ending her song after it barely began.

"Pinkie!" Spike cried in shock.

"_Nails on a chalkboard, EVERYTIME!"_

"You hush that lunatic face a yours; nopony does that to our Pinkie Pie!"

Applejack follows up her outburst with another moderately effective **Buck.**

"_Ugh, I despise repetition. You really need to mix up your attacks some more, like this!"_

**Surprise Cutlery**

A section of the mecha opens around the waist revealing a line of knives, which shoot down and hit both you and Applejack for mild stinging damage. Shadow Pie continues to taunt you.

"_I should start thinking of what flavor cupcake each of you will be. Applejack's is obvious, but what about Twilight and the dragon? Maybe cinnamon with purple food dye, or maybe I'll make it grape-flavored. I don't think I made a grape cupcake before, hehehehehe."_

She's tricky as well as insane you think to yourself, and you're running out of options. You decide to try one other thing.

**Illumni**

A blinding flash goes off but it has no effect whatsoever on Shadow Pie, except for this one.

"_Why'd you flash me? What was the point of that? If it's to tick me off more then congratulations, I will make your death MORE painful!"_

Applejack does **Buck **once more. At this point you sense that Shadow Pie's strength has been restored. The effects of **Weaken **appear to be temporary.

"_Oooooh, everything is back in working order. Better commemorate this with an extra deadly attack."_

Shadow Pie has her mecha bring the cleavers to its chest as though drawing power from within.

"She's charging up!" yelled Spike. "Be on guard!"

"Don't bother attacking Applejack, just guard," you tell her.

"How'm I s'pose to do that?" she asked.

"Just think it!" you direct.

Both you and her use **Guard **to enhance your defense with the help of your Foal-sonas.

**Double Cleave**

The mechanical monstrosity pulls back both its cleavers and brings them down hard on both you and Applejack. Although you were guarding the blow deals considerable damage that would have otherwise been fatal. You are seriously low on energy, and Applejack appears almost as bad as you.

"Yikes! Somepony do something!" cried Spike in a panic.

"_You know Applejack, you and the others only have yourselves to blame for this. I could tell you didn't like my behavior but you went along with it nonetheless thinking that I wanted to be like this. None of you ever tried to get to know the real me. You've been feeding this wrathful beast, and the time has come to reap what you sow!"_

"No, yer talkin' hooey," Applejack argued. "We all cared for Pinkie Pie and helped her whenever she needed it; if ya really are part of her then yer head got all mixed up when you got out."

"_It doesn't matter. Soon you'll be dead, and I'll have my cupcakes!"_

"I don't think I can hold out much longer Applejack," you say to her.

"Darn it," she cursed at the ground, but looked up quickly. "Hold on, I just remembered: I think I learned a new ability earlier."

"Then try it; we're pretty much out of options," you say in desperation.

You allow Applejack to go ahead and try out her new ability, for better or worse.

**Apple Storm**

**Jenny Appleseed **appears and rears back to bring down a hail of thick juicy apples down on the death machine. The apples bounce off it with damaging impact yet when the storm ceases it remains in mostly good shape.

"_Ohh, was that supposed to be intimidating? What a joke!"_

"It didn't work?" Applejack said hopelessly.

"Now what?" Spike panicked.

"_Enough stalling; time to ready the ingredients!"_

Shadow Pie winds up for another blow but the arm stalls partway up.

"_Huh?"_

She tries moving the arm again but it doesn't bend back all the way.

"_What's wrong with this thing?"_

She keeps trying to move it back repeatedly but then her bot stumbles forward slightly. It is then you spot through the gaps of the rocky and wooden outer layer one of the apples from Applejack's attack wedge between the gears within. In fact when you look hard enough you see that it's an apple stuck in the arm that's preventing it from bending back. Apparently the apples are thick enough to stop heavy machinery!

"There's apples stuck in the gears," you tell the others. "They're disabling the machine!"

"_Are you kidding me? I'm almost finished here and I'm being stopped by stupid apples! Gaaaa!"_

Shadow Pie starts pushing the levers frustratingly to crush the troublesome apples. Eventually the apples do give in, but there are several juicy pops throughout the machine, indicating that more than just the two apples got stuck inside it. Juices begin running out from the machine as a grinding noise starts to emanate from it.

"It's starting to look sluggish Twilight; I think those juices are slowing it down!" Spike cried excitedly.

"_Seriously! You're not seriously doing this now! Stupid stupid robot! I'm still going to finish you off!"_

The flustered shadow tries to menacingly charge the two of you but the apple juice has somehow severely limited its mobility so that it shuffled at you rather then charged. It gets to Applejack and does a clumsy downward swing which she dodges easily. The miss proved to be critical as the mecha stumbled back wildly and fell hard onto the ground defenseless.

"It's down you guys!" Spike declared.

"Ready to go All-Out Twilight?" Applejack asked.

"'Yee-haw' as you would put it!" you say.

You rush the downed doom bot and stomp on it with much gusto. In its vulnerable state it takes massive damage but resumes standing after the dust clears, however shortly after it does it starts to shudder violently and pieces of it start coming off.

"_No, NOOO!"_

The machine raises an arm stiffly before falling forward and hitting the ground as a great pile of junk. Shadow Pie is flung from the fallen machine and tumbles along the ground before stopping before the two of you. She gets up shakily.

"_Hehh… Fine. I'll just have to cut you up with my own two hooves then."_

She reaches behind her and pulls out a huge machete whose blade is half the length of her body, which she hefts between her two front hooves while standing on her hind legs. It's terrifying and silly-looking at the same time.

"She's still not done?" you ask perplexed.

The on-foot Shadow Pie runs at you with machete raised and tries to split you down the middle with it but you roll out of the way. Having failed to end you she then throws herself at Applejack and swings madly. Applejack sidesteps and dodges repeatedly but the deranged assailant keeps swinging in hateful desperation.

"_Die Die Die Die DIE DIE DIE!_

"You done talked enough!"

After ducking a horizontal slash Applejack turned around and delivered one of her signature bucks to Shadow Pie's face, shattering her half-mask and launching her through the air. The bested shadow lands hard onto the rubbish pile resulting in a large blast of dissipating particles of extinguished rage. It was close but you both won the battle!

Something inside of you has changed. **Morgana **has grown in power and has learned the ability **Plume!**

Applejack is now Apt Rank in combat! **Jenny Appleseed **has grown in power and has learned the ability **Rally!**

You Applejack and Spike immediately run over to where Pinkie Pie landed and find her on her back in a ridiculous fashion but otherwise looking alright, though her eyes are closed.

"Pinkie Pie! You okay?" Applejack asked worriedly.

Pinkie's eyes pop open and she looks cheery as before, albeit upside-down.

"Yeah Applejack! That kinda hurt but it was sorta fun flying too!"

She leaps back onto her hooves and looks ahead at her other self who has retaken her gloomy original form.

"You're still here!" she said to it with friendliness. "What happened to your robot?"

It doesn't look like Pinkie understands the gravity of what just happened, or has yet to realize what that other her is. Better spell it out for her…

**"That's your inner self, Pinkie."**

"Pinkie Pie, that over there isn't a pony pretending to be you for some game or whatever," you tell her straight. "She came out of you, and represents the innermost feelings you have been hiding."

"Telling it that it wasn't you was what made it go crazier and attack us," added Spike.

"And it'll do it agin if ya don't accept it Pinkie," Applejack emphasized.

Pinkie Pie gave your words some thought.

"She came from me? For real?" she asked.

You all nod your heads.

"Huh. Then I guess it kinda makes sense," Pinkie admitted. "The part about her not liking parties. Lately I've felt a bit tired planning parties, but only a bit. Maybe if I took a break for a while then that 'inner me' wouldn't be such a meany."

She says nothing more and a pause follows after. That was a rather quick bit of understanding…

"…That's it? Nothing else?" you ask, a little disappointed.

"Nope!" she said confidently with a smile.

"_It's no use."_

To everyone's surprise the shadow pony is talking again, but sounding calm and mature rather than spiteful.

"_If there's a conflict she's quick to resolve it by agreeing readily, even if it's a conflict with herself. I should know: I've been tucked away growing and growing trying to get her attention but she keeps on doing her thing without worry. I thought if I came out and talked to her face to face I could get her to take things more seriously, but as I saw she's frustratingly hard to budge. That's just the way she is."_

The shadow gives a sigh and smiles with eyes of understanding and… compassion? What the heck is going on?

"_Ever since that day on the farm she devoted all her time and energy to making others happy. That very first party of hers made such a difference to her family, and it felt wonderful to her. She convinced herself that if she could make others just as happy then she'd never be sad. Yet it can be tiring being cheerful all the time. I first arose the first time she thought she might've been going overboard with the parties, and from within I saw how much she pushed herself to keep throwing parties and maintain a sunny disposition. At the time I believed she was doing it to forget her old boring life and hurting herself in the process, so I hung around and acted as the voice inside her to stop doing it so much."_

"_At some point though I developed the idea that she kept doing this routine because everypony else wouldn't let her stop, and so I grew to hate them, and became a little corrupted in the process. But now I see that I was waaaaaay off in thinking that. You guys still annoy me, personally, but I see that you're not the reason for Pinkie Pie being Pinkie Pie. She wasn't trying to be accepted, or to escape her past. She truly wants to make fill the world with joy and Laughter."_

The shadow gives a sort of ironic laugh.

"_A girl can't be nice all the time so I'll stick around for her sake, though I'll have to accept her behavioral defects. Like it or not she is me, and I am her. Fortunately she has some reliable friends to keep her in check so I don't have to do all the work. Now that would be REALLY maddening."_

She makes a sinister wink with her last statement.

The shadow's willingness to accept its master's faults have been made manifest, and subsequently so has the strength of heart to face oneself… This is rather unprecedented.

The shadow reconfigures into a glowing pony wearing regal jester clothes, a necklace holding a comedy and tragedy mask, and two fake curved horns worn on its head.

Pinkie Pie has faced her other self… sorta. She has obtained the façade used to overcome life's hardships, the Foal-sona **Loki. **Pinkie has also gained the ability **Mood Shift! **During battle, Pinkie will be able to **switch personalities with her other self, **allowing for faster stronger attacks. The effect only lasts until battle's ends, so there's nothing to worry about. Or is there?

The Foal-sona dissipates and becomes one with Pinkie Pie.

"Ooh, such a warm feeling," Pinkie said. "Did I get some neato power like the two of you did?"

She catches on quick.

"That's a pretty powerful Foal-sona you got there," you say rather unsettled by the energy radiating from Pinkie upon receiving her power.

"I can even feel it from here," said Spike.

"Cool!" exclaimed Pinkie. "Now all three of us can go find Fluttershy and beat up anyone in our way! Come on let's go!"

Pinkie hops off to the rescue but collapses after her second bounce. You all go to her side.

"I feel really tired all of a sudden. This is kind of embarrassing."

She giggles weakly.

"What'd you doin' hoppin' all exhausted ya silly girl?" scolded Applejack. "You gotta use your common sense more."

Just then a mirror descends from the ceiling and presents itself before the group.

"A mirror, like before," said Spike looking it over. "And it's Fluttershy's place this time."

"Good; we're gittin' outta here," said Applejack.

"B-but what about Fluttershy?" Pinkie objected. "We have to find her; she gets scared too easily!"

"We can't just leave without Fluttershy Twilight, especially in this place," Spike says to you.

You sigh.

"I don't want to leave without her either but that last battle took a lot out of us," you explain. "None of us are in any condition to keep going on and expect to beat another strong enemy, and Pinkie definitely needs some rest after what just happened. There's no better option right now."

"But Fluttershy-"

"We know that she's here," you interrupt. "Once we've recuperated then we'll come back and get her."

"What if something bad happens to her by then?" asked Spike.

You are silent for a moment.

"…Let's just hope nothing does happen," you say seriously.

You help Applejack pick up Pinkie Pie and bring her over to the mirror while Spike follows. With some lingering dissatisfaction you all step through the mirror and out of the Shadow Realm.

You return to Fluttershy's living room with the others. You see that it's evening outside.

"Back in one piece," said Spike in relief.

"That confirms the mirrors are indeed safe exits to use," you say. "Though so far they've only appeared after a powerful enemy was defeated. I wonder why?"

"I better take Pinkie Pie home before it gets dark," said Applejack.

"Hey maybe I could spend the night here," suggested Pinkie. "Then again it might be inconsiderate to sleep in Fluttershy's house without her permission."

"Yeah, I was just gonna say," agreed Applejack. "Come along darlin'; you gotta get to restin'."

"I could help you take her home," you offer.

"That's alright Twilight; she's light enough for one pony to handle," Applejack said.

"Hey Twilight?" spoke Pinkie.

"Yeah?" you replied.

"I just wanna say thanks to you and Spike for coming after me along with Applejack. I'm also sorry for the trouble I caused by going on my own and getting you into a fight with my other me. I guess it's also my fault you heard those things that must've made you very uncomfortable, like wanting to paint the town red and putting you guys in cupcakes, which is just silly if not mean."

"That's okay," you assure her. "It was probably her way of getting some things off her, or rather your chest. And you're right: Some of the things she said were pretty silly."

"I know right?" Pinkie agreed. "Still embarrassing though, but nothing that can't be laughed away."

She gives her sincerest laugh.

"You know Twilight, you're the first pony I've taken this long to throw a party for. It's been a pretty busy week, or maybe I'm starting to get rusty? That'd be extra embarrassing if that were it!"

"You can throw a party for me after you've gotten a good night's rest," you tell her.

"No! Not until we get Fluttershy, then we'd have something extra to celebrate about!"

"Sure Pinkie." You look at Applejack. "We'll meet up tomorrow morning at the café and discuss this further. I'm thinking 10 would be a good time."

"Sure thing Twi," said Applejack. "Yall stay safe till then."

"Same to you two," you tell her.

Applejack leaves with Pinkie Pie, leaving you and Spike with the empty house.

"I wonder if anypony else came over while we were gone…" you say to yourself.

"I still don't feel right about us not looking for Fluttershy," said Spike. "But the two of you do look pretty beat. I just hope she'll be alright by the time we get back."

"We'll go back no question," you say with conviction. "For now we must sleep on it and hope for the best, for her sake."

"I guess," Spike said glumly.

You were able to confirm that Fluttershy is trapped in the Shadow Realm and you were also able to save Pinkie Pie from her other self. However the fact that you weren't able to bring back Fluttershy as well leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. For the time being there's nothing more you can do. You can only hope you made the right decision to leave when you did…

You and Spike return home by the time night falls. Both of you are very exhausted from your time in the mirror, and decide to go to bed early.

**Author's Note:**** This turned out longer then I had anticipated, and frankly some parts played out differently then I had originally imagined. But that's just par for the writing course I guess. Apologies for the delay and any future delays that may come in the future as a result of work, video games or profound laziness, and also thanks for reading up to this point; your continuing interest further motivates me to keep writing!**


	11. The Deadline

**Day Six, Night**

**The Deadline**

A familiar cool air wafts around you and your eyes open to a familiar shade of blue. Across from you are the zebra Zacora and the odd brown colt in the suit jacket who called himself the 'Doctor.'

"And so we meet again, just as a new trial has started to begin," said Zacora in her odd rhyming.

"Hello love," greeted the colt. "Had something of a tussle earlier?"

It appears you have been summoned to the Velvet Room.

"You two again," you grumble. "Why am I back here?"

"You've gone back to the Shadow Realm a bit sooner than expected so think of this as a status update," explained the 'Doctor.'

"First I want to commend you on a job well done," said Zacora. "You saved the life of she who strives for laughter and fun. An unexpectedly tough foe wouldn't you think? Had you been weaker, it would have ended you in a blink."

"Honestly I thought you just got lucky at the end, but take it for what you will," criticized the colt.

"But I wasn't able to save Fluttershy," you tell them regrettably. "She's still there all alone, and right now she could be…"

You didn't have the courage to finish that sentence. Zacora gave a comforting chuckle though.

"Fret not caring Twilight, she is in no pain," she tells you. "But her safety won't be certain after the coming rain."

"What she means is that you have something of a time limit to save your friend, a rather generous one when you hear it," said the colt. "Based on data gathered from extended observation there is a significant spike in activity in the Shadow Realm when fog is stirred up by a long night of rain. I believe that during that time the residents of that wretched place get incredibly restless and more inclined to murdering outsiders, but at any other time they sit right tightly to themselves."

"So in other words…"

"You have until the next foggy day to get your friend out in one piece," he finished for you. "I suggest you keep an eye on the forecast if you wish to dilly about before doing the rescue, though I presume you have another couple of days before the next heavy rain. Don't take my word for it though; I'm not much of a weatherman in this dimension sad to say."

"So if we go and get Fluttershy before the next foggy day then she'll be fine?" you ask.

"Yes, that's essentially what I just told you," he replied.

"Be forewarned, for the Darkness has observed your activity," said Zacora. "In future encounters they will gather to bring about greater difficulty. But as long as your heart stays true then this rescue you will certainly see through."

"Speaking of which can you tell me what this 'Darkness' is exactly?" you ask. "You make it sound like a living entity; is it the thing responsible for creating those shadows and feeding off negative emotions? And what is the Shadow Realm exactly? You said it was part of Equestria."

"It is still early to divulge, and time is key," answered Zacora. "What you must focus on is the lost pony's safety."

"So you just brought me here to tell me to go back and save Fluttershy?" you ask. "I was going to do that anyway!"

"Seemingly unnecessary I know," agreed the 'Doctor.' "This visit of yours serves as a quick update, nothing more. Although we aren't going to have you leave empty-handed this time around."

The colt looked over to Zacora who nodded, and then he looks to you and waves a hoof. Before your face an ordinary-looking key on a beaded chain hovers and then hangs itself around your neck. You obtained the **Guest Key.**

"That there will grant you access to this fine domicile while back in the physical plane, should you ever come across it," the colt explained. "This place is ingeniously camouflaged and virtually impregnable so having that key means I've put in considerable trust that you won't drop it while doing shopping or some other random errand."

"If this place is camouflaged then how would I be able to find it?" you ask.

"You'll know it when you see it. Trust me; you're an astute enough unicorn," he pseudo-complimented you.

"The next time we meet you will be given much explanation," Zacora said. "For now you must make ready for your latest destination. A Pegasus most frail sits atop a lonely tower; will you reach her before her final hour?"

"Translation: We'll answer your questions after you save your friend," said the colt.

"I got that, thanks," you tell him.

"Farewell until next time, and good luck. Remember to tread lightly amidst the mirth and the muck."

You begin to lose consciousness as your vision fades to black once again.

**Author's Note****: A quick update, as the Doctor put it. My focus had been preoccupied by an expertly crafted bit of fiction lately, but I recently finished it so I should be able to concentrate on writing a lengthier chapter. Hooray for substance!**


	12. Preparations

**Day Seven, Cloudy**

**Preparations**

Clover Café, 10 am. You and Spike are sitting at a table outside the café, which weirdly enough may be the same table you and Spike sat at when you first came to Ponyville. Sitting at the table with you are Applejack and Pinkie Pie, Pinkie looking fully recovered and back to her bouncy energetic self remarkably enough. Having already eaten breakfast you all discuss the current situation.

"So why are we still sitting around? We need to be looking for Fluttershy," said Pinkie Pie impatiently.

"Hold yer horses Pinkie; we should plan this out first before jumpin' back in," Applejack said.

"Plan? What's there to plan? We just go back and get her out; it's so simple!"

Applejack groaned.

"Applejack makes a valid point," you tell Pinkie Pie. "Due to certain, 'unforeseen events,' we entered the mirror wholly unprepared and it nearly resulted in disaster for all of us. To be frank we were lucky in getting out, but I feel that if we went back in as hastily as before we might not get the same lucky break."

"No kiddin'," agreed Applejack. "So what's the plan Twilight?"

"Huh? Plan? What do you mean?"

"Well, fer sum reason I can't quite explain, you really seem to know what's goin' on and how to handle it. You also kept a pretty cool head when we faced dem monsters and Pinkie's other self," Applejack explained. "I figured you'd have thought of what we should do next before headin' back in."

"Ooooh that's a swell idea!" said Pinkie. "For some weird reason too you seem like the well-planned step-ahead leader type!"

"L-leader?" you say in surprise.

"Yeah! You look all smart like a leader and you're always focused like one. And Applejack is like the rodeo type and I'm the party-planning advisor type. It makes so much sense!"

"You'd make a pretty good leader I'd think, Twilight," Spike tells you sincerely. "You've been doing a good job being leader-like up to now."

You don't know how to react to being called "leader-like." You've never been the leader of anything before, or even a regular member of anything as far as you can recall. The votes of confidence in the ponies' faces say that they're not joking though. And on the other hand you do have information about the Shadow Realm that the others don't know. More importantly you feel honored and touched in some way by this; it's a good feeling.

"Very well, I guess I can be the leader of this rescue operation if you guys insist," you say.

"Well, I didn't want to impose that particular position on ya but that sounds swell Twilight," approved Applejack.

The band of four has come together as a uniformed group with you appointed to man the helm. Your shared goals and common interests unify and begin to form a faint yet firm bond.

**I am Thou… Thou art me…**

**Thou hast established a new bond…**

**It helps thy battle against the encroaching Darkness…**

**Thou shalt be blessed with the powers of the Intrepid Arcana…**

A familiar warmth and dose of power fills you. You have established the **Rescue Party **Social Link of the **Intrepid **Arcana! When faced with obstacles that challenge your **Intrepidness **you gain a supporting boost of confidence!

"So what's the plan Twilight?" Pinkie asked eagerly.

"Yeah Twi: How we gonna do this?" asked Applejack.

"Alright," you say with a nod, mentally taking on the role of leader and organizer. "I believe our main focus for now is preparation. As I said before we went into the mirror unprepared, but that won't be the case this time. Before we go back I want all of us to be fit and ready for anything that that other realm can throw at us."

"What do you have in mind?" asked Applejack.

"Essentially the same kind of things you'd take on an extended camping trip," you say. "Though I don't want us to actually stay in there overnight; I mean things like medical supplies and possibly food items, but not too much so we're not weighed down should we run into something particularly fierce. Thus I propose that we all split up and go home or around town and gather things that could be helpful for the coming excursion. We'll take three hours to do this and then meet up at Fluttershy's house. From there we can move on to the next stage of the plan: Rescuing her."

"Whoopee that's just what I wanted to hear!" Pinkie cheered. "Count me in!"

"Again I must emphasize that you bring only what you think you need," you remind her. "With that said, let's split up and meet back at Fluttershy's in three hours."

"Alrighty Twi," said Applejack with affirmation as she and Pinkie Pie get up to leave.

You then remember something.

"Wait. Before we leave there's something I want to tell you."

"What is it?" asked Applejack.

"Even though we're definitely going to do our best to get Fluttershy back today I should tell you that there's no need to rush things. As it stands, I believe Fluttershy is still safe at this time."

"What makes you say that?" Applejack again asked.

You find yourself in a conundrum for bringing up that information. Though you wanted to assure them that there was still some time until Fluttershy was in any real danger you hadn't thought of how to explain it to them. You feel it best not to mention the Velvet Room for obvious reasons. However, with some clever rewording, you can still tell them what you were told.

"Well, I've been doing some thinking last night, on account of being so worried and not falling to sleep right away," you lied. "I thought back to the day Gilda died. The day before she was completely fine, but at some point somehow fell into the mirror. The next day she was found dead. Now follow me on this: Fluttershy supposedly fell into the mirror sometime yesterday or possibly the night before. Yet, despite it being a full day or more since she fell in, she hasn't reappeared dead like Gilda had. Although she had been in the mirror for about as long as Gilda had been, why hasn't Fluttershy come back the same way? I believe it has to do with the weather."

"Say what now?" asked Applejack confused.

"I'm not following," said Spike equally as confused.

"The day Gilda was found dead it was incredibly foggy, to the point where you could barely make out the houses. But as you can see today isn't foggy, and neither has Fluttershy shown up anywhere in some form or another. Therefore, I came to the conclusion that, for whatever reason, anypony trapped in the mirror is expelled on a foggy day, maybe to conceal the method in doing so. In other words, I don't think Fluttershy is in any real danger until it becomes foggy, which I also believe happens after a night of heavy rain."

That was a lot of fancy talk and manure you threw out there to be honest. Will it work?

"That all sounds pretty far-fetched if ya ask me," said Applejack. "But it kinda sorta makes sense. Fluttershy's been in there for a day but she hadn't come out like Gilda had, so there's definitely sumthin' odd about the whole thing."

"Hold on a sec, Gilda was in that mirror place? The day before she died?"

That's right: You haven't given Pinkie Pie the lowdown on what might have really happened to Gilda.

"But you can tell me this some other time," she said to your relief. "So you're saying Fluttershy is safe as long as it isn't foggy here?"

"Yes, that is what I believe," you say to her feigning uncertainty.

"Then that's a relief if it's true! I'm good at forecasting the weather and I can say for certain that it's not going to rain tonight!"

The clouds overhead give you some doubt to this claim, but it is Pinkie Pie. She so far has shown an understanding for things you didn't think possible.

"But we should still get her out as soon as possible right?" Spike asked.

"Of course," you assure him. "We're still going in today as planned. So let's go and grab our individual necessities and regroup in three hours."

"I hear ya," affirmed Applejack. "See yall at Fluttershy's."

Applejack leaves without a moment's pause.

"I think I can get my own necessities from the library," said Spike. "See you around."

"Alright Spike. And don't dawdle."

"Yeah yeah."

The baby dragon leaves. You're about to leave in search of goods for yourself when Pinkie Pie bounces over to you.

"Twilight, I just wanted to say you're doing a great job being a leader!"

"All I said was that we should get prepared beforehand, nothing else," you say.

"But you said it with such confidence, like in a 'that's how things were gonna be done and that's final' way. And all that stuff about the fog, you sounded really convinced that that's how it was, and conviction is the key to leadership, I think."

"I appreciate the praise Pinkie," you tell her graciously. "But you shouldn't make such a fuss over it. It's just a title and nothing more."

"Incredibly humble, another trademark of a super-duper leader!" Pinkie exalted. "I can tell amazing things are gonna happen with you around. And when we go get Fluttershy you can count on me to give it my all, cuz every leader needs dependable teammates to win!"

"Thank you Pinkie Pie. And I do mean it."

You can feel Pinkie Pie's trust in your leadership, and even though she has been incredibly friendly toward you since you first met her you open up to her friendliness and take it to heart. You begin to feel a faint bond forming between you and her, accompanied by another feeling of warmth and power.

**I am Thou… Thou art me…**

**Thou hast established a new bond…**

**It helps thy battle against the encroaching Darkness…**

**Thou shalt be blessed with the powers of the Laughter Arcana…**

You and Pinkie Pie are officially friends. You have established the **Pinkie Pie **Social Link of the **Laughter** Arcana! When faced with obstacles that challenge your **Laughter** you gain a supporting boost of confidence!

Pinkie Pie's determination in battle has increased! She will now **endure a mortal blow **for you! Although it may never be necessary… hopefully.

"Cool, my own Social Link! This means I'm extra important!"

W-what did she just say?

"Anyway I'm gonna get preparin' and so should you, Leader. See you later!"

With that the pink pony hops off humming. You simply stand there and watch her leave, wondering if she's really just a very random happy pony, or if she's something else entirely. Maybe her getting a Foal-sona has a part in, but you seriously, SERIOUSLY doubt it's that simple. You get your thoughts straight and head off in the opposite direction to gather supplies for the rescue.

**Time Passes. It's a little after noon and you're still walking about town.**

You casually stroll by some shops while verbally going down the mental list of supplies you would want to bring.

"Okay, I got some packaged snacks and items for a Scrying spell should we need one. Should I bring some rope along? Hmm, I get the feeling Applejack might have that covered. Perhaps I should get some torches in case we get separated. Have to find some thick enough sticks though, and also-"

You stop when your head collides with a sturdy wall knocking you on your rump. You rub your head with a hoof while wondering how you couldn't have paid enough attention not to run into a building. Looking up though you see that it wasn't a building you ran into: Before you stood a tall blue wooden booth by the opening of an alley with strange lettering covering the upper part of it. You never saw this booth in town before despite how painfully noticeable it was. Before you could ponder this mystery further you feel a slight vibration on the back of your neck and then felt something rise off it. In a moment a familiar-looking metal key and beaded chain hovered in front of you. It was the **Guest Key **given to you in the Velvet Room, but when you woke up this morning you never found it and assumed it had been left behind. Turns out it got caught in your mane without you noticing.

The **Guest Key **begins to glow, causing a panel on the front of the mysterious booth to open up like a door. You look around nervously for other ponies, then giving into curiosity you step into the booth, the door shutting behind you upon entering.

Your eyes are met by a curious sight, as the interior of the booth appears much larger than the exterior would have made it seem. Not only that but the inside was covered in metal sheets and gratings of something looking like bronze though not any bronze you've seen or read about before. In the middle of the large room was a strange machine with a glass tube sticking straight out its top and glowing a luminescent green. Standing before the machine working over a disarray of buttons and levers… was Zecora's brown-maned colt acquaintance.

"Ah, impeccable timing!" greeted the colt. "It's very assuring to know that my foresight is spot-on for the most part."

"Why are you here? What is this place?" you ask.

"Why, this is my humble abode of course," he told you frankly. "That key I gave you should have indicated as much."

"Wait, this is the Velvet Room?" you asked confused.

"No you silly girl; I told you before that that's just the one room. What you're seeing is the main lobby! Figuratively speaking," he said proudly.

You don't know what to make of that revelation as you look around the room one more time.

"She's quite a beauty, the TARDIS…" he continued wistfully marveling at the surroundings.

"Looks pretty junky," you say.

"I admit it is rather old but I didn't come by to have you criticize my furnishings."

"So why did you come by? And where's Zecora?"

"Oh she's back at her actual home," he answered. "She had potions to concoct or something so I decided to zip on over here for a quick errand. And I know what you're going to say: 'Zip on over? What and how exactly?' Short version this is something of a personal transport to get me around your fine country. I'll explain in more detail another time but you're in a hurry to get somewhere so I'll be quick."

You couldn't help but feel shafted at him preemptively answering your questions like that.

"Now the purpose for my being here was to give you this."

Tearing himself from the strange console the colt walks over to you and reaches into his coat with his mouth, and shortly thereafter withdraws a shiny semi-transparent crystal. Noticing that he was struggling to hold the chunk of rock in his mouth you use your magic to take it from him. He coughs a bit afterward.

"It's just so cumbersome having to use your mouth like that all the time. I'll never get used to it," he complained.

You look more closely over the crystal hovering before you. It is very beautiful and alien you think to yourself.

"That there is a special kind of crystal that I have deemed the **Sight Stone. **I picked it up a good while back and forgot about it until just recently," he explains. "I've done a bit of research and discovered that something about its composition gives it vision-enhancing properties. Essentially when someone looks through it the crystal provides 95% greater visibility in any low-lit setting, practically removing all darkness. Since the place you and your friends plan to invade is pretty much nothing but darkness I thought this could be of considerable use."

"**Sight Stone, **huh?" you remark.

"It was an unknown material at the time so I thought up a name," he says defensively. "It's not the most creative to make up on the spot but the name doesn't make the function or something or other. Anyway I'm giving this to you to make your little rescue mission go along a little smoother."

"So I'm supposed to look through this crystal to see clearer? Now _that _sounds cumbersome," you tell him.

"Unless you fashioned it into something a little more practical and fashionable like I dunno, glasses?" he countered. "Just grab any old pair of spectacles and slap two cuts of the stone into em I would imagine. Must I explain everything? You're supposed to be smart."

Again with the rudeness.

"That said you'll have to figure out how to cut the lenses yourself. I was in a bit of a rush to meet you and forgot to do it myself. But as I said you're smart; crafting some lenses should be child's play to you. Or should I say 'horse'-play. Gah the lingo of this reality is as befuddling as it is clever."

He shakes his head. He goes back over to the console and moves some levers.

"Tell you what: I'll drop you off at the optometrist and let you work from there. We should be arriving aboooooooout… now! Right, off you go then. Good luck and so forth."

Not sure what to make of his combined rudeness and generosity you remain silent and head for the door.

"Best of luck; don't get yourselves killed over there!"

Shaking your head you reach the door and step through it. You obtained the **Sight Stone.**

Stepping out of the weird booth thing you see that the 'Doctor' has in fact brought you to right outside the town optometry building. Turning back briefly you see the booth has vanished, but you shrug it off and head into the building to get some frames. You've seen enough weird things to not be amazed by that disappearing act.

**Time Passes. It's nearly one hour to the rendezvous at Fluttershy's house.**

The town library. You stand before a worktable in the basement with a box of assorted glasses frames to one side and the **Sight Stone **in front of you. Upstairs Spike is continuing his own preparations, which is good since the problem you're currently facing wouldn't benefit from any interruptions. Although the 'Doctor' had told you that you should make some lenses you found out a few minutes earlier that the basement doesn't have any proper gem-cutting tools. If you brought the crystal to the optometrist or town jeweler you think it might take considerable time before they're ready, not to mention the questions that would come from bringing such an unusual rock.

When you first you did after coming down to the basement was look through the stone, and sure enough there wasn't a spot of darkness anywhere despite the lack of lights down here. The fact that it works makes the problem at hand more frustrating.

"If that pony knew so much about me then he would've known that I didn't have anything to cut this rock with. Come to think of it, how much does he know? Does he watch my every move in town, or even here?"

You quickly shake the unsettling thought and go over to a shelf to try to find something.

"There's gotta be something I can use. If can just find a chisel I might be able to work from there."

As you rummage through the shelf a brown slip of paper falls out and floats to the ground. Intrigued you look at it and then lift it up with magic for a closer look. It appears to be some sort of ad with eye-catching lettering and pictures of merchandise.

"What's this? 'Dervish's Expedited Merchandise: Granter of your desires, we pass the convenience on to youuuu.'"

You're struck by the oddity of the extended "uuu." You resume reading aloud.

"'We offer a multitude of wondrous wares at affordable prices, plus free near-instantaneous shipping. A miracle of shopping, it can only be Dervish's.'"

You read further. To your surprise you find that the bargain highlight item is a Handy-Dandy Home Lense Crafters Kit. Talk about a stroke of luck, though you have some reservations about that so-called "near-instantaneous" shipping. You read further.

"'To place your order, simply check the box at the bottom of the flyer and have it sent by mail. Your order will arrive shortly. Dervish's Expedited Merchandise: Passing the convenience on to…'"

The flyer ends with the logo. It all sounds too good to be true, but you feel adventurous and curious about this company's claims. Grabbing a quill pen you check the box at the bottom of the sheet and roll it up before heading upstairs. Back on the main landing of the library you head for the door and go outside to the mailbox. You put the rolled-up flyer into the mailbox and then head back inside. Upon closing the door you stop.

"What am I thinking?"

You realize that what you did was kinda stupid. Surely the mail pony would have already made their rounds by now, not to mention that the shipping would undoubtedly take a few days contrary to the flyer's claims. Why did you believe such claims to begin with? This is nothing at all like you. Before you can chastise yourself further there is a knock at the door. You turn to open it and standing there is a white-haired pony with aquamarine eyes wearing a black shirt and cap with red linings. On his back was a square box.

"Package from Dervish's Expedited Merchandise," he announced.

You're quite taken aback by this. You shake it off though and look at him.

"Uh, that's probably for me."

You use your magic to take the box from him and put it on the floor beside you. The colt then reaches into his shirt and withdraws a pen and a clipboard with a sheet of paper on it.

"Sign here pweasesh," he said through his full mouth.

You use your magic to take the pen and sign your name on the sheet. You return the pen and he puts the items back into his shirt.

"Pleasure to have your business ma'am," he said as he started to turn away.

"Don't you need me to pay for that as well?" you ask.

"You'll get the bill eventually. Use the time to make the most of your purchase I say," he said in a stilted but friendly manner. "You have a good night now."

The delivery pony leaves. It appears that the flyer's claims of "near-instantaneous" delivery were absolutely accurate. Also that pony had an odd way of talking. You switch your thoughts to the forthcoming task and take the package back down to the basement. Once at the work table you delicately open the box and find that it contains the lens crafting kit you ordered, looking exactly like the one pictured in the flyer. It even comes with instructions to aid the eager amateur lens-maker. You read over the instructions and without delay you begin making some glasses.

…

After an astonishingly short 20 minutes you have successfully created four pairs of **Light Glasses. **You confirmed that they do work although they are a little tight on the noggin. Regardless these will definitely prove useful in the Shadow Realm. You gather the glasses and head back upstairs to get your things. After getting your saddlebag of goods you realize that it's getting close to the meeting time. Better fetch Spike.

"Spike! Are you ready? We gotta go."

"Coming Twilight!"

The baby dragon comes down from the upper floor carrying a book half his size.

"What's with the book?" you ask him.

"I had the idea that I should keep a record of everything we find over there, since I've been acting as support," he says. "With this book I could write down everything we encounter, especially the weaknesses of any monsters we run into. That way I can read em off instead of having you guys memorize them. I already wrote down info on the ones we've faced so far."

"That's excellent thinking Spike," you tell him with genuine praise. "Given how much we don't know about the place we should've been doing that sooner. You've been preparing well."

"I know right? I can be a genius too at times," he gloated.

"Anyway we need to get over to Fluttershy's."

Spike nods and the two of you head for Fluttershy's cottage.

**Time Passes. It's early evening and you and Spike make it to Fluttershy's home.**

As the light of the sky starts to lose its luster you and Spike approach the front door. Neither Applejack nor Pinkie Pie are there.

"Huh. Guess we came a bit early."

"Hold up ya two!"

From nearby you see Applejack arriving followed closely by a hopping Pinkie Pie. Both of them are equipped with loaded saddle bags.

"Sorry bout being a lil late," Applejack apologized. "We went to check on Rainbow Dash right quick and she's still trainin, so she shouldn't be missin' us anytime soon. All set Twilight?" Applejack asked.

"Yes. And yourselves?"

"I'm all loaded down with survival gear and a heap of ordnance," Applejack responded.

"Ordnance?"

Applejack shakes open one of her saddle bags revealing a bushel of fresh apples.

"Apples, fresh from the farm."

She jumps a bit to send an apple into the air, then leans forward to do a buck. The buck hits the airborne apple and sends it soaring right smack into a nearby tree where it splatters and possibly leaves a dent in the trunk.

"My world-class buckin' makes them darn near lethal," she said.

"That would be useful against flying enemies I guess," you tell her. "And you Pinkie?"

"I brought all kinds of things that can really turn around any negative situation!"

At that a bunch of streamers and confetti shoot off from one of her saddle bags.

"Hehe, misfire," she said embarrassed. "But there's plenty more so I'm still definitely prepared!"

"That's fine I guess," you say with a sigh. "Shall we step inside?"

The others nod and all of you go into Fluttershy's house. Once inside you gather before the mirror and you step up to it to take the lead while outlining the plan to the others.

"Alright: This will be a straight-forward rescue mission. We won't come back until we have Fluttershy. And this time we should be ready for whatever we find in there."

"Enough messing around Twilight, let's rescue Fluttershy already!" Pinkie Pie said bouncing madly.

"Okay okay!" You turn to face the mirror dramatically. "We're going in."

"Yeah!" Spike said with a raised fist.

You put your hoof into the mirror, and before you know it the four of you are falling back into the Shadow Realm. The mission to rescue Fluttershy has commenced.

**Author's Note:**** Quite the delay this time around for a number of reasons. Anyway, two Social Links in one chapter; how about that? Things are heating up once again. Stay tuned, and hopefully it'll take me less time to get the next chapter up. And again, critiques of any kind are welcome.**

**Another Announcement: I'm interested in getting some proofreaders for this story. If the thought of getting a sneak peek of new chapters while improving it interests you, PM me. And Season 2 is almost here; get excited!**


	13. Let's Rescue Fluttershy!

**Day Seven, Unknown**

**Let's Rescue Fluttershy!**

You stand before the eerie dilapidated manor hospital with Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Spike standing alongside you in the sphere of light you're currently generating. You all hold stern looks of determination, except Pinkie who is grinning with determination.

"Round two," Applejack says with a focused tone. "Let's mosey."

"Okie dokie Applejackie!" chimes Pinkie.

As they start to move you remember something important.

"Hold it girls, there's something I want to give you."

You use your magic to pull out the **Light Glasses **and give one to each of them.

"Glasses? No offense Twi but I ain't been havin' problems with my sight," said Applejack.

"These are custom glasses," you explain. "They should help you see in the dark without the use of my light. Try them on."

The two ponies do so and though they look a bit silly the widening of their eyes and the glances they're making show that the glasses work.

"Cool! It's like day now!" said Pinkie.

"Well I'll be darned Twilight, everythin's all clear. You really did come prepared," Applejack praises you.

You put on your own pair and lo and behold the darkness of the realm is practically gone. You bring your remaining pair over to Spike.

"I made a pair for you Spike."

"Uh, Twilight? Remember the other day when I talked about my awesome dragon eyes being able to see in the dark? I don't need those glasses," he tells you. "I appreciate the thought though."

"Oh. Well, it helps to keep a spare anyway."

You put away the extra glasses and look toward the doors of the building.

"With that out of the way, let's mosey on in."

You all enter the building. Like before you enter into a very long corridor except this time it's lit up to reveal a somber dark pink coloring.

"Okay you spooky mirror fiends! We're prepped and set to lay the hurt on anything that gets between us and Fluttershy so you best stay out of our way or expect to be super duper sorry!" announces Pinkie Pie in a cheery though surprisingly intimidating tone.

You all begin walking down the hall.

"Um guys, this is a bit nitpicky, but for future reference how about we call this place the Shadow Realm," you suggest.

"What for?" asks Applejack.

"Well everything we've seen and fought so far haven't been mirror-like except for the other versions of yourselves, and even then they were shadow versions. Plus I think it sounds better then Mirror World or something."

"Huh, whatever you say 'Leader,'" shrugs Applejack. "Come to think of it that does sound pretty catchy."

"And it sounds spooky, like this place!" comments Pinkie. "Oooooooooh, Shadow Realm. Mean ghosties and pony-napping spirits."

Pinkie continues making ghost noises for a few more yards. Applejack suddenly halts and brings up a leg to block your movement.

"Hold up. I see one."

You look ahead and slithering on the ground is a living shadow blob, totally visible due to the glasses. It appears unaware of your presence, but you grow tense regardless.

"Hey, we can do a surprise attack!" Spike says quietly.

"I got this," says Applejack before breaking into a gallop.

You watch the farm pony charge down the hall straight at the shadow. Once she's close to it she takes a mighty leap into the air… and soars over it, landing beside it and resuming her gallop.

"Come on yall we ain't got time to waste!"

You look at Pinkie who looks at you and the two of you smile and nod. You snag Spike up and put him on your back before galloping with Pinkie following. Taking Applejack's lead you leap over the shadow effortlessly and continue down the hall. Surprised by the evasion the shadow then gets ditched by Pinkie Pie who cartwheels over it before taking up a proper gallop. The three of you share a laugh as you catch up to Applejack and bust through the doors at the other end.

The annex is as big as before but with the aid of the glasses it's not so shadowy. You see that the huge rug in its center is a kind of vanilla and pink mixture, and on the opposite side of the room is a winding set of stairs.

"See how easy that was?" Applejack asks confidently.

"I honestly hadn't thought of that option," you admit. "This being a rescue mission we should be more focused on the actual rescue then fighting random enemies. So our best course of action is to avoid the shadows until we get to Fluttershy."

"Awww, but I wanted to beat some of them up," laments Pinkie Pie with a quivering lower-lip.

"If any of dem shadows insist on gittin' in our way then by all means Pinkie," Applejack says, which cheers up Pinkie quick.

"Sounds good enough to me! Now let's go up up up up!"

You all proceed to the stairs. On the next floor you see another hall lined with doors, as well as hear a disembodied voice.

"Nothing but a burden, that's all I've ever been. Just a pony that holds everyone back. What good am I?"

The voice goes silent, but you can tell it's Fluttershy

"There she is! She sounds close," says Spike from your back.

"This place must be gittin' to her; we gotta find her," says Applejack.

"Right."

You proceed down the new hall, but not it isn't long before you meet a wall.

"Huh? A dead-end?" you point out.

"What sorta floor design is that where it's just the one hallway?" asks Applejack annoyed.

"Hey there's a side hall over there!"

Pinkie points to one of the open doors in the hall that does indeed lead to another door-lined hall, much longer than the one you're currently standing in from the looks of it.

"Guess we're going to have to actually search this floor," you say. "Stick close and keep your eyes peeled."

You enter the door and head down the newly found hall. It looks eerily similar to the one you left, with various open and closed doors that show musty abandoned rooms. Slithering from a room ahead comes a shadow blob which takes position near the end of the hall, stretching itself as though readying to grab anypony that dares draw near.

"Shadow! Shadow!" chants Pinkie excitedly.

"Doesn't look like you'll be able to jump over this one," said Spike.

"Looks like you'll get yer fun Pinkie, cuz it's fight time!"

After her declaration Applejack hops to dislodge an apple and turns to buck it straight at the shadow, causing it to explode and begin combat!

Spike gets off your back as you and the other two take position before the new arrivals: Two tongue bats and a wicked wolf.

"My very first battle so incredible and exciting oh boy I can't wait to get it on like you two have been doing I bet it's gonna be so much fun especially now that I'm joining you did I mention this is going to be incredible-"

"Keep it together Pinkie," you interrupt her. "That wolf is surprisingly tough so it's top priority."

"Okay Twilight leave him to me!" she tells you.

"Not before I git in some target practice," spoke Applejack.

Applejack performs a Range Attack by bucking an apple at one of the tongue bats. The apple delivers a critical hit on the tongue bat removing it from battle.

"Awesome shot Applejack!" cheers Spike.

Applejack does another apple buck at the other tongue bat and defeats it as easily, though without the same critical force.

"Me next me next!" pipes Pinkie. "Alright wolfy you're going down!"

Pinkie does an Attack by reaching into her saddle bags to grab something, then standing on her hind hooves she aims and tosses a pie right into the wolf's face which bursts into a KA-SPLAT of baked goodness.

"A pie? Seriously Pinkie?" Spike asks incredulously.

"It's a totally effective humiliation tactic! Like getting egg on his face, but with a pie!"

The tactic only caused moderate damage to the wolf as well as enraging it. With newfound ferocity the wolf charges at the pink pony that pied him but she dodges his bite attack in a rather silly but oddly graceful one-hoof standing maneuver. The wolf maintains his footing and backs off, noticeably embarrassed from the failed attack.

"Guess I should try that new ability," you say to yourself before focusing your Foal-sona.

**Plume**

**Morgana **arises and casts a burst of flame on the wolf. It's super effective! The shadow coverings leave the wolf and he high-tails it out of there.

"Victory!" shouts Spike.

Pinkie Pie is now Beginner Rank in combat!

"Cool, I leveled up!"

**Loki **has grown in power and has learned the ability **Surprise!**

"Oooo I love surprises! Is it an instant surprise party? Cuz if so then it'd really be convenient-"

Seriously cut that out Pinkie. I do the talking for this portion, plus what you're doing would get annoying quick.

"Oh fine Grumpydeehump."

Sigh…

The fight over you all proceed to the end of the hall. Through the open exit at the end you come upon another similar-looking hallway going to the right and left.

"Sheesh, whoever designed this place wasn't too creative in making the floor plans," comments Spike.

"Which way to go," you contemplate out loud.

Just then Pinkie starts tilting her head sharply as her right ear begins flapping for some Celestia knows reason.

"Hold on. Right ear twitching… she must be to the right!"

"Huh? Is that your intuition or something?" you ask.

"Eh, sumthin' like that," says Applejack. "I'll tell ya more bout it another time."

You have to start somewhere, so you decide to go right. After some walking a shadow blob falls from the ceiling and breaks up over you to instigate combat!

The blob disgorges its contents and you find yourselves faced with a small swarm of tongue bats.

"Surprise attack by six enemies! Watch yourselves!" warns Spike.

Two of the bats fly down and deliver tongue-lashings to Applejack and Pinkie Pie for mild damage.

"What gives? That should've tickled or felt icky, but it only hurt!" complains Pinkie.

"How bout sumthin' juicy to lick on ya varmints!"

Applejack bucks an apple in anger at one of the bats but it hovers to the left avoiding it completely.

"Tarnation? How'd he dodge! I call shenanigans!" Applejack complains in turn.

Another bat swoops in to deliver a tonguing to Applejack as though telling her to deal with it. Focus now turns to Pinkie Pie.

"I don't think I can throw enough pies in one go to get them all," Pinkie says with worry, before a light bulb pops up over her head. "Wait; I'll use my Foal-sona!"

Pinkie goes into a stance to bring out her inner power.

**Surprise!**

The regal jester pony **Loki **appears holding a box which he/she/it tosses onto the ground in the center of the bat crowd. After a few seconds the lid of the box opens and an eruption of streamers, smoke and party noises covers them all. When the air clears all the bats have fallen to the ground stunned from, wait for it… Surprise! Haha, I'm a riot.

"They're down! Let's get em while they're out of it!" shouts Pinkie.

You give the go ahead for everyone to go All-Out.

"It's Pinkie Time!"

You bum rush the stunned bats and pummel them into a pony-shaped cloud of pain. Once the cloud dissipates the bats have gone away. A smashing victory, ladies!

"Whoo! I think I'm a natural at this, even though I'm supposed to be a natural at making parties, but maybe I can be a natural at two things!"

"That's swell Pinkie but we gotta move on before we get ambushed again," you remind her.

You walk down the hallway your friends in tow. Suddenly Spike begins sniffing uncontrollably.

"I think I got something!" he announces.

"Really? Is it Fluttershy?" you ask.

He keeps sniffing while walking down the hall head raised.

"It's faint. Something like fresh grass and rabbits. But something's overpowering it; something musky."

Spike comes to a stop at one of the closed doors and sniffs a bit more before finishing.

"Right through here!"

"I think I was gonna say that too," says Pinkie.

As you huddle around the door you hear a voice.

"Nopony seems to understand just how much of a bother I am. They just continue talking to me and ask me to participate in their lives. But why…"

It's Fluttershy alright.

"C'mon Twilight let's go in already!" urges Applejack.

Open the door and proceed?

**Yes**

You open the doors. As you step inside the voice continues.

"Why don't they realize that I only bring nothing but trouble to them?"

You all come to a stop as you're faced with a large hulking monstrosity of a creature much larger than anything you've encountered so far.

"Uh-oh, not good!" said Spike as everypony enters combat!

Standing before you was a beast standing over 8 feet in height. At first it appeared to be a massive red-maned lion but you quickly spot the pair of bat-like wings and the huge scorpion tail. The beast was covered in shadow markings and its eyes were completely red, making it look more demonic and ferocious.

"W-what is that!" cries Spike.

"It's sure ugly whatever it is," says Applejack.

"Guys, I think this is a manticore, a very powerful beast of myth," you tell them. "From what I read they're incredibly dangerous, and this one seems to be corrupted by the shadows. But why is there one here?"

"I don't think where it came from is our main focus of concern," spoke Applejack. "It looks like we're gunna have to take it on."

"That thing may be big and dangerous but we have laughter on our side! Hahahaha-"

Pinkie's laugh tactic is disrupted when the corrupt manticore gives a powerful roar that rends the air and silences everything before it. Pinkie looks pretty shook up.

"Eheh, okay. We'll just fight it like normal then!"

With Pinkie's attempt to recompose herself the fight gets underway. Applejack wastes no time and has **Jenny Appleseed **perform **Buck **for modest bashing damage.

"Foal-sona time again!" Pinkie said as she prepares her attack.

**Poke**

**Loki **arises holding a stick and hovers over to the manticore, stopping to deliver a poke to its head with it. Needless to say it was embarrassingly ineffective.

"Get serious Pinkie Pie!" shouts Spike.

"I'm trying Spike but that's the only bash-like attack I can think of!" Pinkie protests.

It's your turn. You provide a helping hoof to the party by casting **Weaken**, and not a moment too soon as the manticore makes his attack! It moves toward you and delivers a powerful swipe with its paw. The hit is considerable but not as bad as it could have been.

"Twilight! You okay?" Spike asks worriedly.

"It's powerful alright. That swipe was incredibly strong," you say.

"Come on now, we barely started and you sound like yer givin' up." Applejack confronts. "No overgrown cat is gonna keep us down fer long!"

**Rally**

**Jenny Appleseed **appears and does a bucking show that bathes the group in empowering energy. You feel quicker as a result.

"Applejack's right! We can't let this angry manticore keep us from Fluttershy!"

Pinkie gives a cry and charges the beast, leaping into the air to do a side flip before landing an expert rear hoof kick to the manticore's face. She flies back from the kickback and lands in her previous spot bouncing happily.

"That was cool didn't I look cool? I did a whole karate thing; that kitty must be pretty scared now."

If anything the kick only served to agitate the beast further but at least Pinkie is filled with more fighting spirit. Feeling the motivation from both Applejack and Pinkie you face the beast and set its life ablaze with **Plume. **The fire spell does respectable damage but the manticore is still holding out. It's the manticore's turn, and it spreads its wings out for a different attack.

**Fierce Roar**

The manticore lets out a huge roar that shakes all of you. You suddenly feel more sluggish.

"I think your agility has been reduced! Be extra careful!" Spike warns.

"How can you tell?" you ask him.

"I've seen enough battles; I'm starting to pick up on these things. I wouldn't be such excellent support if I didn't."

Apparently there are creatures that can affect your battle performance and not just the other way around. This could be bad.

"I just thought of sumthin'," spoke Applejack.

Applejack brings out **Jenny Appleseed **to perform **Buck, **however Applejack tosses up an apple which the Foal-sona bucks right into the manticore. It does reasonable damage as well as completely obliterating the apple from the force of impact.

"Hey it worked! That should add some extra kick to my ordnance," she says with delight.

"Quit messing around guys," says Spike. "You're fighting a huge blood-thirsty monster ya know."

"We know Spike," Pinkie acknowledges. "Um okay let me think. Ummm…"

Another light bulb appears over her head.

"How about this: What do you call a pony that you have with you during bathtime? A rubber bucky!"

Pinkie Pie laughs at her own joke, but the sheer terrible it exudes is painful to everyone else.

"What, was that?" you ask her.

"I thought I would try making him laugh and mellow out. Wasn't that joke funny?"

There is an uncomfortable pause, which Spike eventually disrupts.

"No Pinkie. That joke was baaaaad."

Just then light flares around Pinkie as **Loki **rises from her and lifts up the comedy mask of its necklace, sending a wave of awkwardness at the manticore and making it noticeably uncomfortable. Pinkie's botched attempt at humor has granted **Loki **the fortitude-eroding skill **Bad Joke!**

"Oh it wasn't that bad," Pinkie gripes.

Wasting no time you perform another **Plume, **and from the manticore's reaction it seems to have done more damage than before. The manticore doesn't cease his assault though as he prepares for another attack.

**Poison Tail**

The manticore assumes an aggressive stance as his tail pulls back and wiggles before lashing out at Pinkie Pie, hitting her dead on. The damage is moderate, however you notice something else: She has taken on a purple hue and bubbles are coming off of her.

"Ugh, I feel weird guys," Pinkie says rather sickly.

"Uh-oh, I think the manticore poisoned her!" alerts Spike.

"Oh no! Pinkie!" you shout worriedly.

Looking very upset Applejack unleashes **Apple Storm **on the manticore but it takes it and remains standing.

"How tough is this dern thing!" Applejack yells angrily.

Pinkie reaches into a saddle bag and throws a baseball at the beast for mild damage, but afterward she flinches as if she hurt herself in doing so.

"I don't feel so good," she says weakly.

"That stuff's working fast! Somepony help her!" cries Spike.

Filled with urgency you fire off **Plume **and see that the manticore is starting to look worn-out. To your dismay though the creature stomps toward Pinkie and makes ready to swipe at her.

"Pinkie, look out!"

Spike's warning comes to no avail as the manticore brings his paw down on the afflicted pony. You can't stand to see the attack and turn away, but seconds pass and you don't hear the connecting of paw with pony. Looking back you see that the manticore's paw has stopped some feet from Pinkie Pie due to a rope that had been tied around it and was being held back by Applejack.

"Not so fast!" she says through gritted teeth as she kept a firm bite on the rope. "I ain't lettin' ya bully her like that!"

Seems that Applejack taking a mortal blow in battle isn't solely exclusive to you. Applejack pulls on the rope and tugs the manticore over toward her, and the beast, having been denied his prey, growls and swipes at her with his other paw. Applejack drops the rope and leaps up over the paw and lands deftly onto the base of the beast's shoulders.

"Time to put on a rodeo, Yeeehaw!"

Irritated by the noisy pony on its back the manticore roars and rears back before stomping and charging around furiously in an attempt to shake her off. To your amazement Applejack holds on effortlessly and seems to be enjoying the life-threatening position that she's in. After a while you see something else amazing: Her tail has somehow gotten some rope tied to it and it's now twirling a lasso loop in the air!

"Let's bring it on home little manticore!"

Applejack's tail flings the lasso forward and around the manticore's neck, then Applejack's Foal-sona appears and grabs the rope as Applejack jumps off the beast's back. The Foal-sona pulls hard, steering the manticore toward a wall. The corrupted creature smashes into it with enough force to shake the entire room and it collapses on its back. The shadows and markings covering it blow away as a result and all that's left is an unconscious ordinary manticore. Near tragedy has turned to victory yet again on the battlefield!

Pinkie Pie is now Apt Rank in combat! **Loki **has grown in power and has learned the ability **Extending Punch!**

Applejack casually trots over to you with a satisfied look of pride.

"Wow Applejack that was amazing!" Spike lauds.

"Truly," you concur.

"Shoot, I figured if my Foal-sona can buck apples then it can also handle a lasso," she tells you.

You then remember Pinkie Pie's condition and turn to her. She looks worse for wear but the purple bubbles are gone as well as her purple hue. For whatever reason the effects of poisoning go away after battle.

"How you holdin' up sugarcube?" Applejack asks with concern.

"I'm feeling, kinda woozy… but it could've been worse if you hadn't done something," Pinkie replies weakly.

"Do you want to rest a while? Or would you prefer we head back?" you ask.

"No! No, I'm alright. We can't go back without Fluttershy. That's what we agreed on."

Pinkie Pie's adamant determination to find Fluttershy is admirable, if a bit concerning.

"Besides, I'll be fine after I have something to eat."

Pinkie Pie reaches into a saddle bag and pulls out a shimmering cupcake which she eats. After some chewing and swallowing life returns to her face and she goes back to hopping like nothing happened.

"Deeee-lish! See? Told ya I'd feel fine."

"What sorta cupcake was that?" Spike asks.

"It's a super special recipe I came up with not too long ago," she explains. "It revitalizes even the most pooped out pony. I call it Pinkie Pie's Alrity Cupcakes! I was going to serve them at parties so that guests wouldn't get tired too early, but the ingredients are super rare so I can't make that many. But I had just enough to make one cupcake for each one of us! Like you said Twilight: Preparation!"

"Uh, what sort of super rare ingredients?" you ask cautiously.

"Huh? Well, things I found on the outskirts of town by the Everfree Forest. I suppose there's more in the actual forest but I haven't gotten around to checking."

"So it's stuff you found near the woods? Glad to know," you say with relief.

"Can we git a movin' you two? I don't wanna wait for this palooka to wake up mighty sore at us," Applejack says.

"Oh, of course," you reply.

A quick glance of the room shows that the manticore was standing in front of a set of stairs going up to the next floor. With the manticore currently on its back and passed out the way up is clear.

"Let's continue," you say.

You walk past the dozing beast and head up the stairs.

"Why did you want to know the ingredients Twilight? Want to make some for yourself?" Pinkie asks you.

"No it's just… well, I've been having reservations about cupcakes since the last time we were here, when, you know…" you stiltedly try to explain.

"Oh, that stuff other me was saying? I'd never ever put _that_ into cupcakes. I don't even think it'd taste good," she says with an innocent laugh, which comes off as both comforting and potentially misleading.

You make it to the third floor, and barely after your hooves leave the stairs Fluttershy's melancholy-laden voice besets you.

"It's because everypony's friendly. They look past my faults and accept me even though I eventually bring suffering to them. They are so selfless, so sacrificing…"

It sounds even sadder and more hopeless then before.

"Oh gosh, her loneliness is making her more depressed," Pinkie says with worry. "Quick Spike, which way did she go?"

"Give me a moment," he said as he begins sniffing again. "The scent's gotten clearer since we got past that manticore… This way!"

Spike takes the lead and you all follow him down yet another door-lined corridor. You see no shadows for the moment.

"I just thought of something," you say to Applejack. "You keep saying the way Fluttershy is talking is nothing like her. Lately I've been thinking that it's probably not really her we've been hearing, but rather…"

"Ya mean, it's her other self?" she asks, to which you nod.

"The stairs are over here!"

Your attention is drawn to Spike's announcement and you hurry over to him. You find him standing beside a door that leads to another set of up-bound stairs.

"That was pretty quick," you remark.

"And lucky!" chimes Pinkie. "Let's go!"

You ascend to the next level. As before, the supposed voice of Fluttershy speaks upon your arrival.

"For their good I had to go, and perhaps now I have finally found a place befitting me. That matches what I really am…"

It goes silent.

"She's on this floor! I can feel it!" exclaims Pinkie excitedly.

"Her scent's really strong; Pinkie is probably right," agrees Spike.

You continue without delay. You head down the hallway in front of you and reach a right-hand turn. As you round the corner you're jumped by a shadow blob and thrust into combat!

This time around it's two wolves and one tongue bat. Having to face recurring enemies at this point is beginning to feel tedious.

"Oh come on! Fluttershy is right around this corner!" complains Pinkie. "You're getting such a poking!"

"Seriously Pinkie? You better not-"

It's too late for Applejack's intervention as Pinkie has chosen to **Poke **the enemy. **Loki **appears with the usual stick and goes for the bat, but once the stick makes the slightest contact the bat is launched backward by a critical strike. You hear a slam as the bat has smashed into the wall at the other end of the hall.

"What the hay?" Applejack asks slack-jawed from disbelief.

"Guess that attack randomly does criticals," theorizes Spike.

"I'm all business now!"

**Extending Punch**

Using the moment of surprise Pinkie has **Loki **appear with a wind-up box. It cranks the box for a few seconds until a boxing glove springs out and hits one of the wolves for moderate damage. Applejack follows this up with **Buck **which finishes off the wolf. You end the battle by casting **Plume **on the remaining wolf, knocking it out. Battle over.

With the thought of finally locating Fluttershy in your minds you all gallop past the corner and down the next section of hallway. Following Spike and his sniffing you turn through a door on the left into a short hall, and then take another left into a room. At the far corner of the room is a door that was being blocked by a shadow. Seems another battle is in order.

"Oop, wrong way," says Spike before returning to the hall.

You're irritated slightly by the false alarm but you resume following the baby dragon. After some more running he stops at a door.

"This is where it's coming from!" he tells you.

Finally, Fluttershy is within your grasp. Open the door and proceed?

**Yes**

You open the door and enter to find… another set of stairs.

"What? More stairs?" says Applejack disappointed.

"Spike, Fluttershy isn't here," you scold him.

"Hey why are you picking on me? Pinkie said she was here as well," Spike defends. "Anyway the scent is very strong here. Maybe she's right above us."

You give a huff and head up the stairs with the others. Once on the next floor you're met with a change of scenery. Instead of another door-lined hallway you're standing in a room with checkered floor tiling and windows on the right and left with drapes that are flapping from a billowing wind outside. In front of you is a round set of double doors ominous engravings. A familiar sinister air seeps out from under the doors.

"Told ya Twilight," Spike tells you arrogantly.

"Yes we finally made it!" Pinkie cheers. "Let's go in and tell her the good news: She's getting rescued!"

Open the double-doors and proceed?

**Yes**

"We're comin' Fluttershy," says Applejack solemnly as you enter.

**End of Part 1! Consider the ensuing break as the loading screen, and stick around! ^_^**


	14. Let's Rescue Fluttershy! Part 2

**Day Seven, Unknown**

**Let's Rescue Fluttershy! Part 2**

You all hurry into the room, the doors closing behind you as you stop to look at the surroundings. You find yourself in a large chamber with a high ceiling and very little furnishing. Despite the aid of your glasses the chamber is pretty dark. Across from you is a wall with a set of glass doors leading out onto a small balcony. You hear a light rain from outside and can feel a steady breeze. Standing by the open balcony doors is a pony in black clothing staring forlornly out into the endless darkness with its back turned to you. You spot a pair of pale cream-colored wings sticking out of the black dress, meaning the pony was a Pegasus, and not just any Pegasus…

"Look! That's gotta be Fluttershy!" spoke Pinkie excitedly. "And there's also… Fluttershy? Huh?"

Looking to your left you spot a lavish but dusty queen-sized bed with curtains, and standing beside it was another cream-colored Pegasus with a pink mane that was looking at the black-draped pony with worry. It's just as you feared.

"How come there are two Fluttershys? Or is that other one a missing sister?" Pinkie asks.

"No Pinkie, the one over there is Fluttershy's other self. You know, like how you had another self," you explain to her.

"Oh? OHHHH!" she says as she finally understands.

"_The cold air matches the nature of my soul: Disruptive, bitter, and unwanted. A passing inconvenience to those who frolic unhindered in life's prospects, among which I shouldn't be a part of…"_

The sad tone of the shadow proves that the voice you heard on the way up here is in fact hers. Does she hold some connection to the manor that allowed her to project her voice? Maybe she has some sort of control over it, like a master. You feel uneasy.

"Hey Fluttershys! We've come to rescue you!"

Pinkie's announcement grabs the attention of the real Fluttershy who turns to look at you with a startled look.

"Pinkie Pie! Applejack? And Twilight? How did you get here?"

The Pegasus in black lifts her head solemnly before turning to face you. As she does so, lightning strikes outside, sending harsh light through the balcony door and surrounding windows. After turning to face you straight on you see that she is wearing the same veil as when you saw her in the mirror, but her yellow eyes and the dark energy rising off her proves that she is definitely a shadow.

"_How can it be? Why did you come here?"_

"To rescue you silly," Pinkie says matter-of-factly. "Or just the other you, by which I mean the real you. The one who isn't all sad-sounding if that clears it up."

"_Rescue? There's no point in rescue. Merely a wasted effort for something of no worth to begin with is what it would be."_

The shadow goes back to looking out the balcony forlornly.

"Don't say things like that," Fluttershy consoles her other self. "It's important to stay positive and never talk about worthlessness."

"_But I am worthless."_

The shadow turns to look at Fluttershy.

"_You of all ponies should know this better than anyone."_

"I'm afraid I don't know any of that," says Fluttershy innocently. "But I do know that you are very sad about something, and I'm only trying to help. Also, since you look like me it makes me incredibly uncomfortable whenever you say things like being worthless and miserable, as though I were saying it. But none of that could be the truth, for me or you."

"_Truth? My very existence is the very truth that proves your feigned naivety."_

"I'm gittin' a bad feelin' bout this," Applejack says to you.

The rain outside has gotten heavier.

"_Ever since the day you were born you have been timid and shy, hence the name: Fluttershy. But it was no simple flaw that would eventually be overcome. In any given situation, in whatever company, you were always so painfully awkward due to your shyness, which in turn made things awkward for those around you, and just as painful. Even as you grew older and took to the land below you continued to helplessly ruin the happiness of others, and you knew it."_

The shadow steps over to the balcony for more forlorn looking as she continues her condemnations.

"_That knowledge ate away at you and affected all your decisions. You chose to remain quiet so as not to hurt others more than you already have been doing. You chose to live near the Everfree Forest, not to be closer to the animals, but so you could be out of the way of the prosperous township, saving it from the discomfort that flows from you wherever you go."_

"I-I wouldn't say I make others uncomfortable, just that-"

Fluttershy is interrupted as the shadow continues.

"_Yet something troubling kept occurring every time you tried to distance yourself from others. The ponies, that you sought to protect from your misery, would not stop coming. Whether to aid you or simply to talk to you they would not leave you alone."_

"That's because they care about me, which is something that makes me happy and not-"

"_It's because they don't know how hopeless and weak you are. How unwilling you are to improve yourself and be of use to society, which favors the confident and self-reliant rather than the uselessly meek, which you continue to remain after all these years. Never have you made an effort to defend yourself or become more courageous, because you've always known that such efforts were impossible."_

You notice that Fluttershy has started trembling.

"_But instead of telling the ponies the truth about yourself, you chose to deny who you really are and respond to their attention with unending kindness. You believed that being kind-hearted to everything and everyone around you would make up for all the other qualities you lack, all the while telling yourself that it was because being nice was… nice."_

"Because it is nice to be-"

"_You couldn't bear to have others know the despairing truth about yourself. Wrapped up in your acts of kindness you lost the courage to acknowledge the vast faults that dwell deep within you, and again your awareness of this ate away at your very heart, turning you more and more miserable and incapable of ever being a strong-willed pony. Caring for animals, helping others selflessly. All of them pitiful attempts to cover up what you really are: A burden, and nothing more."_

"N-no, that's not…"

Fluttershy couldn't finish.

"This is looking bad," you say.

"Don't listen to her!" shouts Spike.

"Quit picking on her!" Pinkie shouts trying to sound threatening.

The shadow resumes, unfazed.

"_Then we come to now. So far every attempt you made to distance yourself from others have failed, but then miraculously you're dropped into a place completely cut off from Ponyville, and possibly all Equestria. Purest isolation: The perfect sanctuary to keep you away from those who radiate inner strength. At last, no pony would have to suffer."_

"I don't want any of that."

Fluttershy starts shaking her head as the shadow turns to face you and the group.

"_But it appears your closest friends were still able to find you, even in this dark forgotten place. Clearly you are cursed to get in everypony's way for as long as you live. That is, unless you take the most permanent course of action."_

Fluttershy lifts her head in shock as do the rest of you.

"_There is no other choice. You can continue to be an unbearable burden to the world, or you can save it the trouble and at long last bring peace to yourself. Imagine: All your friends, all the animals, all of life itself, free of your pathetic being. Happiness will surely reign, don't you agree?"_

Fluttershy is now trembling more than ever and has a look of indescribable terror on her face.

"H-how can you say that? How could you know these terrible things?"

"_It is because I am your inner voice Fluttershy. You are me, and I am you. Therefore, we share the same thoughts, and the same desires."_

At this point Fluttershy closes her eyes and places her front hooves on her head shaking violently.

"You're wrong! I don't want any of that!"

The raise in Fluttershy's voice makes the scene more unbearable to witness.

"_You do want it. Please, stop denying what is in your heart. Accept it, so that we can do what is necessary."_

"No!"

Fluttershy bends down continuing to cover her head in a desperate attempt to block out the world. Her voice at this point is a mixture of crying and pleading.

"D-Don't say any more, please! No more! Not while they're here!"

"Fluttershy!" Applejack says mortified.

"_We are two sides of the same pony, and together we can finally end it all and cease this ongoing blight that is your life. You know it's the only way."_

"Just stop it, STOP! You're pure evil! I would never be this cruel! You're… You're…"

"Don't say it!"

Your warning falls on deaf ears as Fluttershy raises her head at the other her and shouts those dreaded words.

"You're Not ME!"

The shadow Fluttershy falls silent, letting the outside rain fill the room with the sound of pattering. After a period of silence the shadow slowly raises a hoof to her face and lifts up the veil covering it. The full depth of her yellow eyes can be clearly seen unobstructed.

"…_Hearing that is truly hurtful."_

There is a thunderclap and lightning as you spot a terrible sight: The shadow has started to cry, but its tears are pure crimson. The darker Fluttershy lifts up her wings and begins walking toward her light counterpart menacingly. Fluttershy scoots back whimpering helplessly as the gruesome doppelganger approaches, its wings beginning to molt.

"_I only want you to accept the despair you possess. Nothing more."_

Another flash of lightning fills the room with light before a strand of rope shoots down from the ceiling and wraps itself around the shadow's neck in an instant, pulling back hard with a violent tug. Fluttershy makes a weak cry of terror while watching her other self being pulled up to the ceiling, it staring at her all the while. Just then the breeze from outside gains strength before a cloud of shadowy energy pours in and swirls upward to consume the hanging fiend. It finally becomes too much for poor Fluttershy as she drops to her knees and loses consciousness from fright. You all gasp at her collapse but have no time to worry further as the enemy reveals its wretched form:

The shadow pony has grown four times larger and is wearing a tattered red-stained sheet instead of its original black clothing. Its body is covered in a ghastly array of cuts, bandages and the occasional embedded knife. Around its head is a horrid metal device that had spike-lined insides opened and ready to shut on its face, which now held cold blank eyes along with the crimson tears. All the while the grotesque creature was swinging back and forth limply on its noose up in the air.

"What in Celestia's good name is that?" you say sickened.

"Hang in there Fluttershy!" shouts Spike.

The battle against Fluttershy's secret emotions has begun!

You all stand braced for combat as you look up at the macabre menace that swings before you like a hideous pendulum.

"_I am a shadow… The true self… All I want is to finally be at peace. Can you allow me this much at least?"_

"That Othershy is a real mood killer," Pinkie says. "It's gonna take more than one of my parties to get her to cheer up."

"What that thing needs is a lesson in not hasslin' our friend!" challenges Applejack.

"Oh, and that too. Okay guys, let's spank this spook!"

This will undoubtedly be a tough battle. You decide to set things in motion with a precautious cast of **Weaken. **Applejack picks up on your strategy and has her Foal-sona **Rally **the group for increased mobility. Pinkie Pie on the other hoof decides to make the first attack with **Extending Punch, **which connects solidly. Despite being attacked the hanging mare simply sways from her noose staring down on you with blank condemning eyes. Was the attack too weak to get her attention? Or perhaps…! You get an idea.

"Girls, physical attacks probably aren't evoking a response from it. Stick to using brute force!" you instruct the other two.

"Brute force was all I had in mind for this fight!" acknowledges Applejack enthusiastically.

You initiate your new attack plan by performing **Skewer. **Applejack performs **Buck **and for whatever reason Pinkie goes with **Poke **instead of her last attack. The shadow Fluttershy begins to sway with agitation.

"_Why must you hurt me more? Hasn't my own personal failings done enough?"_

The hanging shadow raises a hoof, causing one of its embedded knives to pull out and spin in midair for a moment before launching itself at Pinkie. She steps to the side but the knife's speed lets it knick her leg, resulting in a thin red cut.

"Pinkie!" cries Applejack.

"Heeey, she tried to stab me!" states Pinkie. "You're not just incredibly sad, but incredibly nasty too!"

"So much for not evoking a response," Spike says to you.

"We just have to stay on guard like usual," you tell everyone.

You do **Skewer **again and Applejack does **Buck, **and again Pinkie does **Poke. **Shadowshy calls up three more knives from her pale body, which line up above each of you and fire off at the same time. Pinkie and Applejack dodge their knives but you take a hit from yours on your side.

"_Please, I don't want to harm you further. This is solely my task to undertake. Leave, now."_

"Not without the real Fluttershy," you tell the shadow.

Trying a new approach you cast **Plume **on the mournful mare for moderate damage. There is an additional effect: The noose holding up Shadowshy begins to catch fire. Eventually the rope is engulfed and burns to ash, causing the white-draped foe to crash limply to the ground, defenseless.

"Alright, let's show this crybaby whose boss!" shouts Applejack as she readies for the assault.

You give the go ahead!

"Yeehaw!"

The three of you charge and pummel the downed shadow, but once the dust settles the pale Pegasus has gotten on its hooves and still looks battle-ready.

"_Why do you keep interfering? Do you not see the good that will come from leaving me here? Just how obsessed are you to continue seeking me even when the truth is laid bare?"_

**Misery Hoof**

The shadow Fluttershy raises a hoof aflame with dark fire and points it at you, causing a burst of flame to erupt before you and singe you a bit. You feel a twinge of misery from the attack as well.

"Jes give us back Fluttershy and we'll leave ya to do whatever the hay ya want!" yells Applejack angrily at the moping enemy.

You set off a **Plume **in retaliation but with no helpful side effects this time. Applejack gives it her all with **Apple Storm **and, for a third time, Pinkie uses **Poke.**

"Stop usin' that attack Pinkie! It's barely hurtin' it!" yells Applejack impatiently at Pinkie.

"I'm trying to knock her out like with the bat, but it's not working for some reason," says Pinkie.

"Then quit doin' it so much and use something that actually works!"

The bickering ceases as the grounded Pegasus lifts up its half-molted wings.

"_Could it be that you wish to wallow in the same despair that I inhabit?"_

Just then two spiked chained spears shoot from the ceiling and impale each of Shadowshy's wings with a sickening sound. The chains attached to the spears retract and in turn lift the ghastly being back into the air by its further desecrated wings. Despite its ordeal the shadow seems to have regained its former strength.

"_Are you in fact seeking out a peace that can be found nowhere else? Peace only I can provide?"_

"Boy she's full of herself," Spike remarks. "But I think she's starting to get serious as well."

"Understood," you confirm.

You fire off **Plume **and once again no beneficial side effects. The chains seem to be fireproof (obviously). Applejack tries her apple and **Buck **combo for average damage.

"Pinkie Pie, lower the shadow's defense," you instruct the pink pony.

"How?" she asks.

"Tell another joke," Applejack tells her specifically.

"Oh, okay! Um, uhhh. This whole battle is making it hard to think up something on the spot NO WAIT! I think it's an utter "cry-me" how you're trying to make us as sad as you are."

A painful silence falls.

"Pinkie, I don't think puns count as jokes," reprimands Applejack.

"It's still funny," says Pinkie cheerfully.

Though her statement is questionable, **Loki's **appearance proves that puns do count as jokes and Shadowshy gets hit with a **Bad Joke, **resulting in lower fortitude! Even with the new penalty the grim doppelganger fights with less restraint.

**Heavy Guilt**

The shadow lifts up its hooves and uses them to bring down a live metaphorical weight onto the whole party for considerable damage. You take this as a signal to cast another **Weaken **on her, while Applejack does a regular **Buck **and Pinkie finally uses **Extending Punch **once more. This seemingly frail shadow is annoyingly resilient you think to yourself.

"_Clearly life has become too great a burden to you as well. Allow me to ease the hardship of your soul's struggles, if only for a moment."_

**Frightful Stare**

The shadow closes its eyes briefly before snapping them open in a powerful all-consuming glare that leaves you and the others shivering to the core. To your dismay you find your legs have become incredibly heavy and are unable to move them.

"Y-y-yikes," Pinkie says with a quivering voice. "I can't move my legs."

"Me too," says Applejack. "W-what was that?"

"She stunned you somehow! Get a hold of yourselves!" cries Spike.

Unfortunately the shadow's piercing look is too effective, for you cannot move or even concentrate enough to use your Foal-sona. You're essentially a sitting target.

"_See how much more at peace you are? This is what I want, and when this is over you all shall have it as well."_

**Swarm of Despair**

A black mist spreads out from Shadowshy and starts to swirl around her, the mist shaping into several balls that become a swarm of shadowy tongue bats that hover maddeningly before their summoner like a living screen.

"What the! There's so many bats!" Spike exclaims.

At that moment Pinkie stops shivering and moves her legs.

"Yes, I can move again!" she declares.

"I still can't do anything. Fight without me," you tell her.

"You can count on me!"

Pinkie looks angrily at the shadow and its swarm.

"Scare my friends will ya? Have a Pinkie punch!"

Pinkie uses **Extending Punch **but one of the bats flies to intercept, sacrificing itself to protect Shadowshy.

"What gives? I wasn't even aiming for that."

"_Like a secure blanket my despair shelters me from the reality of my weakness and the cruelty of the world. Settle your woes and welcome its calming embrace."_

"I think you need to take care of those bats before you can attack her further," says Spike.

Before you can remark on his stating of the obvious Shadowshy lifts her hooves and moves them around, causing the bats before her to move as though being conducted. The shadow sweeps a hoof before her and the bats descend on the group flying by in a stream that hits everyone for repeated damage before returning to their previous defense formation. You begin to feel weary from the fighting, but luckily you have regained the ability to move.

"Phew, I'm feeling better. Better clear the air."

You waste no time and cast **Illumni, **which eradicates the swarm of bats instantly and leaves the shadow exposed.

"Thanks Twilight," says Applejack. "Time to bring the buck!"

As promised Applejack **Bucks **the shadow which is followed up by Pinkie's **Extending Punch. **You notice Shadowshy is beginning to look more weary than usual.

"We're almost done here girls," you tell your partners. "Don't let up."

"_Suffering comes in many shapes and forms. You cannot keep it away forever with simple optimism. Despair always finds a way into your hearts."_

**Swarm of Misery**

Another black mist flows out and swirls around the hanging shadow but this time the bats that take shape aren't the same ones that you have been fighting up to this point. The bats that appear aren't entirely covered in shadow and look more like actual large bats with red markings, similar to the wolves and manticore. They take formation before Shadowshy. It's starting to look like bat country you think.

"Those bats look different. They look more… solid," comments Spike. "Maybe light attacks aren't such a good idea."

"I have to try Spike. It could just be a bluff."

You set off **Illumni **but as Spike predicted the light only causes minimal damage. The bats have to be taken out by other means.

"We got other ways to beat em Twilight! Don't git yerself all rattled right when we got her on the ropes!"

Applejack follows up her encouraging words with a summoning of **Apple Storm. **A few of the bats get bashed out of commission by the bombardment but a good majority still remain.

"For Fluttershy!"

Pinkie has **Loki **use **Surprise! **but the pomp and flair have no effect on the bats, which makes Pinkie groan in disappointment. With her new batch of bats Shadowshy directs the swarm into a flapping frenzy and sends them straight at you. You take the full force of the assault, and just as Spike said they were quite solid, and hurt quite a bit. As the bats disperse and return to their master you find yourself in pain and exhausted to the point of being unable to keep your head raised. You're almost at your limit you realize.

"Twilight!" cries Spike in distress. "Somepony help her!"

"Dumb bats!" shouts Applejack.

Angrily Applejack sends in another **Apple Storm **which reduces the swarm of eight bats down to two. Pinkie Pie looks over to you with a fretful look.

"Hang in there Twilight, I'll help you!"

Pinkie frantically looks through a saddle bag and with a shout of "Catch!" she throws a shimmering cupcake your way. You will yourself to raise your head to see the approaching confection and instinctively open your mouth to gobble it when it gets close enough. The cupcake has the fluffy texture of a muffin, but more importantly you notice the sudden rush of energy coursing through your body almost right after you swallow it. You stand tall and feel fully restored.

"Thanks Pinkie. That really hit the spot," you tell her, to which she gives a relieved grin.

"_Enough time has gone on. The peace we all seek has become more bothersome to achieve. Please, stop your struggling immediately."_

Shadowshy expels more black mist and before you know it the bat swarm has been replenished to around sixteen strong.

"No way! She's gotten even more of them!" says Spike.

"That ain't fair!" Applejack complains while stomping a hoof. "At this rate it's gonna take forever to get to her!"

"I don't have nearly enough special cupcakes to last us that long," adds Pinkie Pie. "What are we gonna do?"

It appears that the shadow is going to wear the party down with its replenishing bat swarm, in much the same way lingering despair wears down a pony's livelihood. Most clever, but this is a cause for distress and desperation as you can't think of anything to prevent that outcome.

"Isn't there something we can do?" you say to yourself stressfully before turning to Pinkie Pie. "Pinkie, tell me you have some other attack you haven't been using up to now."

"I'm afraid I got nothing else Twilight," she tells you. "Oooooh this shadow is really getting on my nerves, scaring Fluttershy and making bats attack us and not letting us beat her. It makes me so angry!"

Pinkie starts stomping the ground in frustration, and suddenly you're struck with the remembrance of something said to you yesterday in the manor's annex. You realize it's a long shot but it's the only option that hasn't been used yet in this fight.

"Pinkie Pie! Get angry, and fast!"

"Huh?" she says tilting her head at you.

"You have to get angry, and I mean really mad, like how your other self was!"

"Twilight, what are you-?" Applejack was going to ask before Pinkie interrupts.

"My other self? But she was so mean. And I can't think of anything that could make me angry like she could. I only think about having fun and parties and balloons and-"

"Your mane is stupid, your name is stupid and your jokes are absolutely terrible!"

Pinkie falls silent from your insults and closes her eyes. Shortly after energy starts to emanate from her, blowing her mane and tail around like a mild gust.

"My mane isn't stupid…"

Pinkie's abrupt tonal shift signals the activation of her personal ability.

**Mood Shift**

Pinkie's mane and tail rise up before deflating and straightening out into natural smoothness, and the tone of her hair darkens. You feel a wave of malice coming from her as well as a rising sense of regret as the transformed Pinkie opens her eyes with a devious look.

"That's more like it," she says in a cool sinister manner.

The mean-looking Pinkie steps forward and looks up at the hanging shadow unpleasantly.

"Hey, what's the big idea boring us with your sob story?" she says harshly.

"_Huh?"_

"'Oh, life is sooo hard. I'm such a burden to others; I want to be alone. No one should love me, boo hoo HOO.' Like your life is so hard! I plan parties for a living; don't you think that gets burdensome after a while? Well let me tell you something: It does. But I don't go pouting about it like some bleeding heart pariah-wannabe. Just suck it up like an adult!"

"_But I-"_

"Talk about pathetic. A cushy life with friends and cuddly animals and you say it's hard? Maybe you should be left here to wallow in despair if that's your honest attitude."

"_You don't understand-"_

"I understand plenty, like that you're annoying. I've been in this dank place way too long and your incessant sappy mope talk is keeping me from leaving. I should shut you up before you drive me insane to the point where everything you say is actually worth a darn."

Pinkie's scathing words and tone are rather frightening, and Shadowshy seems to be quivering from the onslaught of her condemning.

"_Pinkie, why are you so cruel?"_

"Don't call me that. That name's cutesy and I'm not in a freakin' cutesy mood!"

Pinkie approaches the shadow menacingly.

"_Don't come any closer!"_

In a panic Shadowshy sends her bat shield down at Pinkie. The disgruntled pink pony swiftly jumps into the swarm and hops from bat to bat, dropping her saddle bags at one point to buck it into the face of a pursuing bat, which then ends up landing near Spike's feet. It is an impressive display of agility as she flips and turns through the swarm that ends with a high jump onto the shadow. Planting her legs on the corners of Shadowshy's back Pinkie looks down upon her with delightful malice.

"You will address me as Pinkamena."

**Cleave**

**Loki **appears over Pinkamena, now appearing more demonic with tattered clothes, a fixed tragedy mask on its face and a pair of bat wings. The Foal-sona raises a huge clever from its side and has it swipe the air before it sideways, severing the chains holding up Shadowshy's wings cleanly. Without the chains' support the shadow of despair plummets and hits the ground hard, causing the bats to scatter. Pinkamena meanwhile manages to leap off the shadow and land expertly back to her spot in the group.

"Are we doing this or what?" she asks you sternly.

"Uh, right. Go for it!"

The three of you rush the fallen shadow and pummel it ruthlessly. When the dust clears the shadow doesn't stand back up, but instead shakes violently as the metal device around its head breaks off. Shadowshy struggles to look up at you pleadingly while holding out a leg.

"_N-no. Why can't you understand…?"_

The shadow loses its strength and lays flat on the ground before erupting into shadowy particles. The battle at long last has come to an end.

You and Applejack are now Seasoned Rank in combat! **Morgana **has grown in power and has learned the ability **Spark!**

**Jenny Appleseed **has grown in power and has learned the ability **Double Buck!**

**Loki **has grown in power and has learned the ability **Icy Punch!**

With the shadow gone Pinkie's mane and tail become poofy again and her hair brightens up to its original tint. Spike comes over and returns her saddlebags as she looks around confusedly.

"Whoa, what just happened? Did we win?"

Pinkie seems to have returned to her cheery easy-going self. Pinkie snaps her head in one direction before she runs.

"Fluttershy!"

Pinkie gallops over to the lavish bed beside which Fluttershy still laid unconscious. When Pinkie gets to her the Pegasus still hasn't woken up.

"Fluttershy! Wake up!" she says in earnest.

Fluttershy gives a moan as her eyes begin to open and her head rises. She looks around briefly before focusing on Pinkie Pie and her smile-brimming face.

"Pinkie Pie?" she asks timidly.

"You're okay!" Pinkie says happily as she begins to snuggle Fluttershy with her head.

"W-what happened? Uh, I you can stop now."

Pinkie continues her fanatic snuggling. Fluttershy looks toward the balcony and gasps when she sees her other self back to her black-draped form and staring at her.

"S-she's still here! Help!" she cries fretfully from her prone position.

"There's no worry Fluttershy; we just beat her up so she's calmed down," Pinkie assures her.

"You did?" Fluttershy asks.

"Yep. But she won't go away until you accept it, like I did with mine."

"Huh? With yours?"

"I had another me like you did that was all shadowy like yours, and I had to say that it was me before it could go away," Pinkie explains rather succinctly.

"I had one too, and it was a stubborn one," Applejack adds.

"You had one Applejack?" Pinkie says surprised. "Well that would explain how you had your Foal-sona to begin with, but don't you see Fluttershy? We've had to do it and so can you!"

Fluttershy abruptly gets back on her hooves and moves away from Pinkie while gazing awkwardly from everypony.

"B-but she makes everything sound a lot worse than it really is," she speaks nervously. "It's true that I like keeping to myself and that I'm really shy, but you all knew that. So really I have nothing more to say."

Fluttershy sounds desperately evasive in her words.

"There is more to it though, isn't there?" you confront her.

Fluttershy jumps at your query, and then quickly looks away ashamedly.

"W-well, I guess, maybe…"

The Pegasus closes her eyes and gives a breath of defeat.

"You did come all this way," she says solemnly. "I might as well clear up some things at least."

She turns to face all of you.

"Growing up in Cloudsdale was a little rough, thanks to my shyness. I never could muster up the courage to talk to anypony, and I never could get myself to join any kind of group. And along with not being a good flyer to begin with I never got respect from other pegasi my age, except for one. I would be teased and on occasion bullied. But nothing extreme, I assure you. My one friend at the time made sure I wasn't bothered too much, even though I never tried to stand up for myself."

Fluttershy looks at the air with fondness.

"I was lucky to have a friend like her, since she also helped me find my purpose in this world. Thanks to her I was able to see the land beneath the clouds and all the wonderful animals that inhabited it. It was here in Ponyville that I thought I could start a new life, one of confidence, where I wouldn't be so shy around others. You can see how well that turned out."

She gives a sad chuckle.

"Even so, I was able to adjust to my new surroundings. I got to see and care for lots of different animals, and got along with everypony here for the most part. Some of them even wanted to hang out with me and invite me to get-togethers. It was so very nice of them, and their attention made me grateful, but all the while I kept having this nagging feeling that I was inconveniencing them in some way. I wasn't as outgoing as other ponies and lots of things frightened me so there were times when the fun would be interrupted on my account. But I never blamed others for that, or for getting me involved in situations where my shyness was apparent; again I was grateful for their attention. Hence I always remained kind, even when somepony was outright rude to me. As that other me said, I didn't want to make things more bothersome then they already were. What would be the point?"

"Your shadow said something about taking a 'permanent course of action' and 'ending it all.' What did she mean?" Spike asks.

"Yeah Fluttershy, and she kept going on about finding peace. What was that about?" Pinkie asks.

Fluttershy begins shifting her eyes around as the eyes of everypony encroach on her.

"Fluttershy?" Applejack says with concern.

"It was only a passing thought, I never meant it to be serious," Fluttershy replies defensively. "Just the one time I had considered an alternative, when I felt really upset at being so weak and timid and making trouble for everypony else. It was only for a moment so it went away and I went back to feeling normal and happy. When that other me brought it up, I suddenly remembered what I felt when I had that thought. An intense feeling of misery, that I had reached my limit. And there was no other way…"

"Fluttershy…" you say empathetically.

"And you all just heard it and know about it now," Fluttershy resumes with a raised upset voice. "None of you will look at me the same, not after this. This will hang over our heads forever and you'll see me as just a miserable bur… bur…"

Fluttershy is resisting the urge to cry in order to speak her mind. This can't be good for her emotional health.

**"Just let it out."**

"There's no need to behave seriously Fluttershy," you tell her. "This has all been very trying for you, so just behave like yourself. We won't judge you."

"Then what will you do? Take pity on me, like everypony else?" she snaps at you. "Well that's appropriate since that's all I am: Pitiful and weak! And for that I receive compassion rather then get shunned like I should have been. Gilda was the only one who saw me as being hopeless and treated me with the indifference I deserve, but now she's gone and I'm left with misplaced sympathy. If only I wasn't so kind all the time then everypony would know better and not have to put up with me. With my useless, awkward self…"

Fluttershy looks helplessly at the ground, her face red with frustration and shame. You cannot think of anything to say to her, and the weight of inaction is becoming unbearable as the pause continues.

"Ya silly filly. Are ya even listenin' to yerself?" Applejack spoke, breaking the silence.

Fluttershy looks at her questioningly.

"Yer soundin' like that mood-killin' other self of yers, which is definitely not like you at all."

"Yeah. Talk about moody," Pinkie joins. "You never say depressing things because you never want to make others sad. And all that self-deprecation doesn't suit you either."

"You guys…"

Fluttershy is unable to continue as Applejack resumes.

"Listen Fluttershy, fergit what that you over there said. If sumthin's botherin' you then tell us, even if ya think it's embarassin' or inconsequential. We're willin' to hear ya out at any time. Why's that? Cuz me, Pinkie, and every other pony you know don't hang around outta pity or some kind of obligation. We do it cuz we care fer you, because yer our friend. And that's the honest truth."

"And you know Applejack: She's always honest," says Pinkie. "So turn that frown upside down Fluttershy. Your friends are here!"

Again silence fills the room as Fluttershy looks to the ground before her friends' smiling faces. You wonder if she's thinking deeply about something or cannot bear to look at them.

"…That's right," she says quietly. "You are my friends. No matter what day, or occasion, you were always there to listen to me and help me without me asking. You genuinely enjoyed my company and never felt sorry for me, even when I kept telling myself you had a reason to. You have always been there, and most importantly…"

She looks up at all of you with a smile and tears running down her face.

"You have always, always made me happy without fail."

Fluttershy finally breaks down and begins sobbing, urging Applejack and Pinkie Pie to go to her side and form a comforting huddle, the Pegasus resting her head on Applejack's shoulder.

"After all the time we shared together, I still doubted our friendship. How could I have said such mean things about you?" Fluttershy blubbers.

"Shush now darlin'. There's not need to talk. We're here for ya."

Applejack snuggles Fluttershy's head affectionately as Fluttershy continues to cry, only now out of joy instead of sorrow.

"I love you all so much."

This touching scene of profound caring leaves you feeling warm inside and a bit teary-eyed as well. The tender moment is too great for Spike as well, as he waddles over to the group and gives Fluttershy's leg as best a hug he could. Fluttershy ceases her crying and takes notice of the baby dragon's friendly embrace.

"Spike. You came looking for me because you cared too?"

Spike looks up at her and nods. Fluttershy then looks over to you.

"And you as well Twilight?" she asks.

"That's right," you reply. "A pony as warm-hearted as you doesn't belong in a cold place such as this."

Fluttershy is silent for a moment, then nods.

"I don't want to be here either. Not when my friends are this worried, and then there are all the animals back home that still count on me. The other day Elizabeak started laying eggs, and it can be pretty rough for a chicken her age."

"There's just one thing you have to do first," you say.

Fluttershy looks over to her shadow self, who has been standing and looking at the unfolding scene the entire time. It now sported a gentle smile.

"Right," Fluttershy says with a nod.

The group huddle parts to allow Fluttershy to approach her other self without hindrance.

"You really are me, and I am you as well. I am timid and lacking in confidence, but I'm through with wallowing in my own self-pity. I have friends who support me, and I'll continue to use my kindness to win over new friends that understand me. And even if it takes me a long time, I will get over my short-comings. Luckily my friends are also incredibly patient."

The strength of heart to face oneself has been made manifest…

With a nod the shadow pony dissipates and reconfigures into a glorious angelic Pegasus wearing a white-flowing robe and front hooves extended in a warm welcoming gesture.

Fluttershy has faced her other self. She has obtained the façade used to overcome life's hardships, the Foal-sona **Teresa.**

The newborn Foal-sona breaks down into blue energy and joins with its host.

"Such soothing warmth…"

Fluttershy falls to her knees, prompting all of you to go to her aid. She looks weary, but at ease.

"Guess that was a lot to let out at once, huh?" she says a little embarrassed.

"It's only temporary. You'll feel alright after some sleep," Spike informs her.

"Alright. I'll take your word Spike," she replies with a friendly smile.

"Speaking of which we should totally get outta here," speaks Pinkie. "We have Fluttershy so there's nothing else to do."

"Yeah, it's been some time hasn't it…" you say.

Shortly after you speak a familiar piece of vanity fare descends and hovers over the ground before all of you.

"About time," says Applejack.

Seems the mirror doesn't have a consistent arrival time after battles, though you consider it's based more on timing than anything else interestingly enough.

"Okay, up you go Fluttershy. We're taking you home," Pinkie tells the Pegasus as she helps her up.

"Um, a-are we going through that?" Fluttershy asks worriedly. "Would it be safe?"

"Of course it would! This isn't the first time I used it," Pinkie tells her.

"It isn't?"

"Nope; it's my second!"

"Only your second!"

"Alright you two let's git goin'," Applejack urges, nudging the two toward the mirror.

You turn your backs to the silent bedroom and step toward the comforting light of Fluttershy's cottage.

In an instant you're all standing in Fluttershy's living room, which looks the same as when you left it. Fluttershy looks around as though expecting it to be a dream, but she eases when she realizes that what she sees is actually there. The sky has begun to darken outside.

"And we're back!" announces Pinkie excitedly. "Mission Accomplished!"

"Goodness, I never thought being back home would feel so wonderful," Fluttershy says a little exhausted as she walks over to the couch by the stairs. "It's such a relief."

Without another word she gets onto the couch and nestles snuggly betwixt the pillows and cushions.

"Forgive my rudeness. I'm just really tired, and seeing my old furniture just makes lying down so inviting."

"Aw shucks ya ain't bein' rude Fluttershy," Applejack tells her. "You just saved me the trouble of havin' to tell ya to get yer rest. After what you stood up to, you need it."

"Thank you Applejack," Fluttershy replies. "I wouldn't have ended up like this if I just told you about my problems in the first place, instead of keeping them bottled up and putting all of you through that trouble."

"We understand that you didn't mean too," says Pinkie. "You just didn't want to make us worry. Typical thoughtful you is all."

"Maybe a bit too thoughtful," you say. "But everything is fine now. Rest as much as you want."

"I will Twilight, thank you," Fluttershy courteously replies.

Applejack moves toward the front door.

"It's gittin' dark. We ought to head back home before we git too tired ourselves."

"Shouldn't someone stay here with Fluttershy?" Spike brings up. "Just for the night, to make sure she's protected."

"That's okay Spike," Fluttershy tells him. "Hardly anypony besides my friends come out here. And I feel pretty protected inside my own house."

"Oh."

"Well get plenty of rest Fluttershy!" says Pinkie. "Tomorrow morning I'll come over and make you a heaping delectably delicious breakfast. You won't even have to lift a hoof the whole time!"

"You don't have to Pinkie. But, if you insist, then you can come over in the late morning."

"Perfect! I can try my hand at making brunch! Then it'll be twice as big and twice as delectable, not to mention twice as fun!"

"Alright Pinkie cool it down," intervenes Applejack as she pushes Pinkie toward the door. "Fluttershy's had enough excitement today."

"Okay. See you tomorrow Fluttershy!" Pinkie excitedly bids farewell.

"Good night Twilight. Catch yall around some other time," Applejack addresses you.

"Same to you Applejack," you reply.

The two ponies leave the cottage quietly. It's just you, Spike and a resting Fluttershy.

"I'm gonna go outside and get some air," Spike says. "That Shadow Realm air gets thick after a while. Don't be long Twilight."

"Sure thing Spike."

Spike steps out of the cottage. It's just you and Fluttershy basking in serene silence.

"Bet you're glad things have finally settled down, huh?" you ask her.

"Yes. I'm very glad," Fluttershy replies. "It's been pretty extraordinary, and pretty scary to be honest."

"That's for sure," you agree. "I won't take up anymore of your time, so sleep well."

You head for the door.

"Twilight."

You stop and look over at Fluttershy.

"What you said back there, I really appreciate it. Especially when you said I was too warm-hearted for such a place."

You feel yourself inexplicably blushing. You forgot just how adorable this Pegasus is.

"I was just being honest," you say. "You are truly a warm-hearted and kind pony, and your friends were physical proof of that."

"Yeah. But, I was really surprised to see you and Spike there as well," she continues. "I've only known you for a few days but you and him were there as though you were as much my friends as Pinkie Pie and Applejack. It really says a lot about you, coming to my rescue though we're hardly acquaintances."

"Well we don't have to be acquaintances," you tell her. "I became friends with Pinkie Pie and Applejack awhile ago, so that sorta makes us friends by association."

"You have? That's wonderful!" Fluttershy says joyfully. "I would be happy to have a pony as caring and friendly as you for a friend!"

"And I'd be happy to have you as a friend as well Fluttershy," you reply.

"Thank you Twilight, hee hee."

The warmth of newfound friendship is shared between the two of you as a close bond takes form.

**I am Thou… Thou art me…**

**Thou hast established a new bond…**

**It helps thy battle against the encroaching Darkness…**

**Thou shalt be blessed with the powers of the Kindness Arcana…**

You feel power filling you. You and Fluttershy are officially friends. You have established the **Fluttershy **Social Link of the **Kindness** Arcana! When faced with obstacles that challenge your **Kindness **you gain a supporting boost of confidence!

Fluttershy's determination in battle has increased! She will now **endure a mortal blow **for you! But would you really want her to?

Fluttershy gives a breath of content.

"It's nice to make new friends, wouldn't you agree?"

"Definitely," you agree before you start heading for the door, only to stop momentarily to ask "Sure you don't want anyone to stay here with you?"

"I'm positive," she answers. "I've troubled you enough for one day."

"Alright," you say. "Um, maybe for Spike's sake you could lock the door before going to sleep, just to be on the safe side."

"I'll be sure to do that, thank you," she replies appreciatively.

You nod and head for the door.

"I'll see you around Twilight," Fluttershy silently calls to you.

"Same to you. Good night Fluttershy."

**Time Passes. It's the middle of the night when you and Spike finally return home.**

You're lying on your bed looking up at the ceiling as a lone candle flickers on a nearby nightstand. Shortly after arriving home Spike immediately went to his basket and fell asleep, but you have been unable to do the same for some time. You reflect on everything that has happened over the past few days, the friends that you have made, the foes conquered, hidden truths learned and confronted. You never imagined that you would witness such fantastical events in coming to this small town, and in just the first week. You suddenly get an idea. Using your magic you bring a quill and some parchment over to you and compose a letter.

_Dear Princess Celestia,_

_I am happy to report that my first week here in Ponyville has been an enjoyable one. You'll be pleased to know that I have made three new friends, whom happen to be the same interesting ponies I mentioned in my previous letter. I was also able to gain considerably more insight on the subject of friendship._

_I learned that while being nice to others is a good thing making it the main focus of your life isn't as good as you might think. Should a pony put all their attention into making others happy they put themselves at risk of ignoring their own health. While making others happy is a good thing it's also important to look out for yourself as well._

_I saw that a pony could grow tired of the thing they love, and another who hid their internal conflicts so as not to trouble others, all because they lived their lives for the sake of others. If left alone these ponies surely would have lost sight of the reason they wanted to make others happy, and may have very well lost sight of themselves. However, through friendship they saw that their own good health was more than enough to please the ones who care for them the most._

_In short, whether it is to make Laughter regularly, or display Kindness on a daily basis, as long as there are friends to look out for you, any endeavor can be a fulfilling one._

_Your Faithful Student,_

_Twilight Sparkle_

**Author's Note:**** This took longer to post then it should have taken. Alas a number of things kept getting in the way, notably a lack of motivation and some real world issues. I'm probably going to take a break from writing for a while until I get things cleared up, don't know for how long though. At the very least I'll pause things on a satisfactorily happy note. Once again thanks for reading this far, and rest assured there is still much to be seen in this endeavor.**

**EDIT: It's with a heavy heart that I must inform you that I am discontinuing this story. The passage of time has eroded my interest in this story, and the time needed to tidy this thing up into a more presentable form would be considerable. Thank you all for reading up to this point, but now I leave you to find other lengthy fics that are ongoing or completed. I suggest "End of Ponies" for starters.**

**Take care everyone. This fandom is truly special, and I'll continue to write in its name. Just not anything epic and novel-length XP  
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